Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection In Patients With Chronic Liver Disease.

e15199 Background: Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is characterized by persistence of HBV DNA into the tissue of hepatitis B surface antigen-negative individuals. The clinical relevance of this infection is still under debate. In particular, the impact of occult HBV infection in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is uncertain. Methods: We investigated the prevalence of occult HBV in patients with chronic liver disease, with or without HCC, that were submitted to liver transplantation or partial hepatectomy in Alfa Institute of Gastroenterology from Clinical Hospital - UFMG - Brazil. We tested the presence of VHB DNA in liver sample using nested PCR in four different regions of viral genome (pre-S/S, pre –core/core, polymerase and X). We also tested these patients’serum for HVB antigens (HBsAg and HBeAg)and antibodies (anti-HBs, anti-HBe and anti-HBC). Results: Our studied population included 71 patients, 50 (70.4%) were male and had median age of 51±12.5 years. Cirrhosis etiology was alcoholic (22 cases, 32.4%), viral hepatitis (17 cases, 25%), cryptogenic (16 cases, 23.5%), autoimmune (10 cases, 14.7%) and 3 cases of other etiologies. HCC was found in 22 patients (31.4%). Viral DNA was detected in 4 cases (5.6%), three of them with HCC. Among these three cases viral DNA was found in non-tumoral area in two of them and in HCC sample in the other one. Conclusions: The prevalence of occult hepatitis B infection was high in our population of cirrhotic patients submitted to liver transplant, especially with associated HCC.