       Document 0403
 DOCN  M9640403
 TI    Individuals with antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen as the only
       serological marker for hepatitis B infection: high percentage of
       carriers of hepatitis B and C virus.
 DT    9604
 AU    Jilg W; Sieger E; Zachoval R; Schatzl H; Max-von-Pettenkofer-Institute
       for Hygiene and Medical; Microbiology, University of Munich, Germany.
 SO    J Hepatol. 1995 Jul;23(1):14-20. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96138890
 AB    BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several reports have unequivocally demonstrated that
       some individuals with antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen as the
       only serological marker for hepatitis B infection are chronic carriers
       of the hepatitis B virus. Nevertheless, conflicting data exist about the
       frequency of this phenomenon; its cause is unknown. METHODS: In a
       prospective study we tested individuals who were positive for anti-HBc
       alone for HBV-DNA as well as for coexisting infections with human
       immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus. RESULTS: Using polymerase
       chain reaction with primer pairs from three different regions of the
       hepatitis B virus genome, we found 54 of 164 individuals (32.9%) with
       anti-HBc alone to be positive for hepatitis B virus, the majority of
       them showing very low hepatitis B virus concentrations. 14.3% were human
       immunodeficiency virus positive; half of them were also hepatitis B
       virus carriers. Surprisingly, 62 of 153 participants (40.5%) in this
       study showed antibodies against hepatitis C virus, and about two thirds
       of the latter were also positive for HCV-RNA. This finding could be
       confirmed by a retrospective analysis of all people tested for hepatitis
       B virus markers and anti-HCV in our institution during the 2 years
       before the prospective study was begun. Again, a high correlation was
       found between the presence of anti-HCV and anti-HBc alone: 49.2% of
       individuals with anti-HBc only were anti-HCV positive also, compared to
       26.8% of HBsAg carriers and only 10% of individuals showing the
       serological pattern of past hepatitis B. CONCLUSIONS: Thus our study of
       individuals positive for anti-HBc alone revealed a high number of
       carriers of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus among them;
       furthermore, we found some evidence that hepatitis C virus infection may
       favour this unusual hepatitis B virus marker pattern.
 DE    Adult  Aged  Aged, 80 and over  Base Sequence  Biological
       Markers/ANALYSIS  Carrier State/*IMMUNOLOGY  DNA,
       Viral/ANALYSIS/GENETICS  Female  Hepatitis
       B/DIAGNOSIS/*IMMUNOLOGY/TRANSMISSION  Hepatitis B
       Antibodies/*ANALYSIS/GENETICS/IMMUNOLOGY  Hepatitis B Core
       Antigens/*IMMUNOLOGY  Hepatitis B Virus/GENETICS/*IMMUNOLOGY  Hepatitis
       C/IMMUNOLOGY/TRANSMISSION  Hepatitis C
       Antibodies/*ANALYSIS/GENETICS/IMMUNOLOGY  Hepatitis C
       Viruses/GENETICS/*IMMUNOLOGY  Human  Male  Middle Age  Molecular
       Sequence Data  Polymerase Chain Reaction  Prospective Studies  RNA,
       Viral/ANALYSIS/GENETICS  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

