Background Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is recognized as a risk factor for cirrhosis and hepato-cellular carcinoma. Significant follow-up was designed for 32 sufferers, showing a far more deleterious prognosis in group D sufferers, associated even more with their underlying condition compared to the OBI position. Conclusions OBI is certainly a heterogeneous condition with different clinical implications. worth .05. Data had been expressed as median (interquartile range [IQR]) for constant variables and as total amounts and percentages for discrete variables. The prevalence of OBI was approximated by the amount of excellent results within the full total amount of screened people and expressed using its self-confidence interval (95% CI) using AZD5363 tyrosianse inhibitor the precise binomial technique. The chi-square check of independence or AZD5363 tyrosianse inhibitor Fisher specific test predicated on a 2 2 contingency desk was used for discrete data, whereas clinical and virological characteristics were compared between OBI patients with various HBV serologic profiles using the Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables. RESULTS Global HBV Profiles During the study period, 33 996 patients were screened for HBs antigen, anti-HBc, and anti-HBs antibodies. The serological HBV profiles, decided from the first available serum sample of each included individual, were as follows: 16 083 (47.3%) were unfavorable for all HBV serological markers (nonimmune status); 11 186 (32.9%) experienced a postvaccination profile (anti-HBs positive alone), whereas 3235 (9.5%) exhibited a profile of resolutive recent infection (negative for HBs Ag and positive for anti-HBc and anti-HBs antibodies). Additionally, 1892 (5.5%) patients had Mouse monoclonal to CD106(FITC) the typical profile for current HBV contamination (associating the positivity AZD5363 tyrosianse inhibitor of HBs Ag AZD5363 tyrosianse inhibitor and antiCHBc Ab with no antiCHBs Ab). Apart from these classical profiles, we observed 25 (0.07%) patients who were positive for all 3 markers, whereas 1575 (4.6%) patients presented an isolated positivity of antiCHBc Ab. Among these 33 996 individuals with available serology, 3966 experienced a concomitant quantitation of HBV VL. Physique 1 summarizes the general workflow of the study, whereas Table 1 describes the results of HBV VL according to the HBV serological profiles of the study population. None of the vaccinated or nonimmune patients displayed a positive PCR, which means that no OBI AZD5363 tyrosianse inhibitor was detected among HBV-seronegative patients. On the contrary, 70% of the HBs AgCpositive patients experienced a detectable HBV VL at the first sample evaluated in this study. Interestingly, all the 14 patients who were positive for the 3 HBV serological markers experienced a positive PCR, confirming that this atypical profile indeed corresponds to an HBV contamination, despite of the presence of detectable antiCHBs Abs (median [IQR], 50.5 [22C197] mIU/mL). The median HBV VL was furthermore statistically higher for this last populace (median [IQR], 101 566 [171C855 000 UI/mL) compared with the HBV-infected populace showing a classical profile without antiCHBs Abs (median [IQR], 923 [112C9211] UI/mL; = .001). These data likely result from a delay in anti-HBV therapy initiation. Indeed, only 1 1 out of the 14 patients was receiving anti-HBV treatment at the time of sample testing. Open in a separate window Figure 1. Global flowchart of the study. HBV infection-related assessments were conducted from January 2010 to December 2016. Abbreviations: HBV, hepatitis B virus; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; VL, viral load. Table 1. HBVCViral Load in Patients Concomitantly Tested With HBV-DNA PCR (n = 3966), According to HBV Serology = .001). Abbreviations: HBV, hepatitis B virus; NA, not applicable; PCR, polymerase chain reaction. aOnly applicable for HBV PCRCpositive patients. Virological Characterization of OBI Profile Among the 2283 individuals unfavorable for HBs Ag who were tested.