OCCULT HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION IN LATE STAGE LIVER DISEASES

Abstract

End stage liver disease, mainly secondary to chronic viral hepatitis, has become an increased cause of mortality in Egypt over the last two decades

Viral hepatitis has been recognized for more than seven centuries, although this is one of the oldest known diseases, proof of its infectious nature was only obtained in the 1940 in a seri@s of experiments demonstrating the transm i ssi bil ity of the disease.

Hepatitis is described as acute and chronic hepatitis is the ongoing liver damage for at least 6 months, however, this damage might be clinically unapparent or unrecognized, and its chronicity may be discovered only after a liver biopsy.

. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the primary cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and one of the major causes of death globally.

Occult hepatitis B has likewise been referred to by a variety of other names such as unapparent HBV infection, serologically silent hepatitis B, silent hepatitis B, surface antigen negative carriers and unrecognized hepatitis 8 infection.

Individuals with occult hepatitis B by definition are HBsAg negative. HBeAg is detectable only rarely. Individuals are variably positive for surface and core antibodies, though about 20% are negative for all markers of p<lst HBV infection aside from HBV DNA. Since viral DNA levels in