AI Article Synopsis

  • The study focused on occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) in blood donors who tested negative for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in Mashhad, Iran.
  • Researchers tested serum samples from 540 HBsAg-negative donors for antibodies against HBV core antigen (anti-HBc) and found that 5.4% were anti-HBc positive, but no HBV DNA was detected in any of the samples.
  • The study suggests that blood donations in Iran should be routinely screened for anti-HBc and anti-HBs antibodies, rather than for HBV DNA.

Article Abstract

Background: Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) refers to the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in the serum or liver of individuals who tested negative for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). This study aimed to determine seropositivity for antibodies against HBV core antigen (anti-HBc) and the frequency of OBI among the HBsAg non-reactive blood donors in Mashhad, northeastern Iran.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, serum samples of HBsAg-negative blood donors were examined for anti-HBc during June and August 2018. Anti-HBc-positive samples were tested for antibodies against HBsAg (anti-HBs), and those with negative results were classified as isolated anti-HBc cases. The presence of HBV DNA in the C, S, and X gene regions was assessed by a qualitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method in all HBsAg-negative samples. OBI subjects were detected by the presence of at least one HBV genomic region.

Results: Of 540 HBsAg-negative donors, 29 (5.4%; 95% confidence interval: 3.6-7.6%) showed seroreactivity for anti-HBc, of whom 18 individuals were also seropositive for anti-HBs. All donors showed negative results for all three HBV genes regardless of their serum anti-HBc status.

Conclusion: Based on our findings, we suggest routine screening of Iranian blood donation volunteers for serum anti-HBc and anti-HBs but not HBV DNA.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11264625PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.34172/aim.28579DOI Listing

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