Low rate of occult hepatitis B virus infection among anti-HBc positive blood donors living in a low prevalence region in Brazil

Silva, C.M.D.; Costi, Cíntia; Costa, Cristóvão Alves da; Michelon, Cleonice Maria; Oravec, Rejane Maria; Ramos, Andréia Nogueira; Niel, Christian; Rossetti, Maria Lúcia Rosa

doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2004.07.007

Cited by 30 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Several reports exist demonstrating the persistence of HBV DNA in different populations or individuals carrying either anti-HBs or anti-HBc only, particularly in blood donors [15,16]. The present study revealed OBI in 10.1% of individuals belonging to the Nicobarese tribe.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Occult hepatitis B infection among individuals belonging to the aboriginal Nicobarese tribe of India

Bhattacharya

Roy

et al. 2014

J Infect Dev Ctries

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Introduction: The long-lasting persistence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genomes in the liver (with or without detectable HBV DNA) of individuals with negative for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) is termed occult HBV infection (OBI). The present study is a part of the follow up on efficacy of vaccination, 10 years post inception, and was designed to understand the prevalence of Occult Hepatitis B infection (OBI) among the aboriginal Nicobarese tribal community. Methodology: A total of 612 serum samples were collected and tested for various markers including HBsAg, Anti-HBs, Anti-HBc and HBV DNA. Part of S gene of the extracted HBV DNA was amplified by nested PCR. The amplified products were then subjected to sequencing. Genotyping was performed on the basis of phylogenetic relationship along with representative reference sequences from different sub genotypes. Results: The study revealed OBI in 11.1% of the people belonging to the Nicobarese tribe. Phylogenetic analysis showed only one genotype, HBV/D circulating among the Nicobarese population with ayw3 was the major serotype detected. Single or multiple amino acids substitutions were found in 5 of 34 samples (14.7%) which includes I110T, P120T, P/T127I, A128P, M133L and G159V. Conclusions: The detection of OBI among these aboriginal tribes is of great concern and stresses the need for the continuous surveillance as it may contribute to the progression of liver disease to a more advanced stage.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Occult hepatitis B infection among individuals belonging to the aboriginal Nicobarese tribe of India

Bhattacharya

Roy

et al. 2014

J Infect Dev Ctries

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“…In a recent study conducted with HBsAg negative blood donors living in the South of Brazil, a region of low prevalence of HBV infection, a low rate (3.3%) of occult infection among anti-HBc positive individuals was observed (Silva et al 2005). However, occult hepatitis B has increasingly been detected in HIV positive patients in different parts of the world (Hofer et al 1998, Grob et al 2000, Shire & Sherman 2005.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of hepatitis B virus infection in Brazilian human immunodeficiency virus infected patients: high prevalence of occult infection and low frequency of lamivudine resistant mutations

Sucupira

Mello

Santos

et al. 2006

Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz

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“…HBV DNA was detected in 3.3% of blood donors negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) and hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) but positive for anti-HBc [2].The frequency of HBsAg in Egyptian blood donors is 4.3% [3]. There are no available data about the frequency of either hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) or HBsAb in Egyptian blood donors.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…HBV DNA was detected in 3.3% of blood donors negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) and hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) but positive for anti-HBc [2].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Screening for hepatitis B virus infection in Egyptian blood donors negative for hepatitis B surface antigen

et al. 2007

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Regardless of all efforts to guarantee safety of blood, hepatitis B residual risk is the highest among transfusiontransmitted diseases [1]. HBV DNA was detected in 3.3% of blood donors negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) and hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) but positive for anti-HBc [2].The frequency of HBsAg in Egyptian blood donors is 4.3% [3]. There are no available data about the frequency of either hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) or HBsAb in Egyptian blood donors. In order to evaluate the role of HBcAb in blood screening for HBV infection, 150 blood donors (negative for HBsAg, HBsAb, hepatitis C virus antibody, and human immunodeficiency virus) were tested for HBcAb (total). In the anti-HBc-positive samples (n = 20), HBV-DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay tests were performed. HBV-DNA was detected in only 2 (10%) out of the 20 HBcAb-positive samples. Isolated anti-HBc that tested negative for HBV DNA was detected in 18 (12%) of the 150 samples that tested negative for HBsAg.Isolated anti-HBc was reported in 2% of the 6,035 consecutive Saudi blood donors [4]. In a single Brazilian study, it was 10% [5]. In our institution, however, the prevalence of isolated HBcAb in tested samples was 13.3%. Isolated anti-HBc serologic profile may be associated with occult chronic HBV infection with undetectable HBsAg, remote HBV infection with loss of measurable HBsAb, passive transfer of anti-HBc, nonspecific crossreacting antibody, or the period when HBsAg has disappeared and anti-HBs has not been detected. The higher prevalence of isolated anti-HBc in our study may be related to the absence of donor selection.Molecular methods have demonstrated the presence of the virus in patients with HBcAb alone with frequencies of 0.8% and 12.2% in a Brazilian [6] and an Iranian [7] study, respectively. In our study, the overall prevalence of HBV-DNA in healthy blood donors was 10% among isolated anti-HBc-positive individuals. Such wide discrepancy, not completely understood, could result from virological, immunological, methodological, or epidemiological factors. The detection of HBV DNA by PCR in these individuals rules out the possibility of false positive results and remote HBV infection. At the same time, it confirms the presence of occult HBV infection.Individuals with isolated anti-HBc who tested negative for HBV DNA constituted 12% of our tested populations. These subjects may have remote infection, false positive result, or represent an immunological window period. We have tested subjects for total HBcAb rather than IgM and IgG isotypes. Therefore, the differentiation between acute and chronic HBV infection was difficult.The exclusion of all anti-HBc positive blood donors leads to unnecessary blood shortage in blood banks (12%

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Low rate of occult hepatitis B virus infection among anti-HBc positive blood donors living in a low prevalence region in Brazil

Cited by 30 publications

References 36 publications

Occult hepatitis B infection among individuals belonging to the aboriginal Nicobarese tribe of India

Occult hepatitis B infection among individuals belonging to the aboriginal Nicobarese tribe of India

Patterns of hepatitis B virus infection in Brazilian human immunodeficiency virus infected patients: high prevalence of occult infection and low frequency of lamivudine resistant mutations

Screening for hepatitis B virus infection in Egyptian blood donors negative for hepatitis B surface antigen

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