Serological Patterns and Molecular Characterization of Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Blood Donors.

Background: Hepatitis B infections, characterized by the presence of a viral genome without detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg; Occult hepatitis B infection [OBI]), have been reported recently.

Objectives: We performed serological and molecular characterization of OBI among blood donors at Jiangsu province blood center during years 2013 and 2014.

Methods: All donor samples were routinely screened by double enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Treponema pallidum (TP), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT).