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. 2000 Mar;7(2):298-300.
doi: 10.1128/CDLI.7.2.298-300.2000.

Identification of different states of hepatitis B virus infection with a quantitative PCR assay

H H Kessler  1 , S Preininger, E Stelzl, E Daghofer, B I Santner, E Marth, H Lackner, R E Stauber
Affiliations

Identification of different states of hepatitis B virus infection with a quantitative PCR assay

H H Kessler et al. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 2000 Mar.

Abstract

The level of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in serum reflects the replicative activity of HBV. To compare serum HBV DNA levels in different states of hepatitis B, 47 sera of patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B, 4 sera of patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B, 40 samples of patients after HBeAg seroconversion during alpha interferon treatment, 57 sera of inactive HBsAg carriers, and 42 sera of patients who had recovered from chronic hepatitis B more than 12 months prior to blood collection were checked for the presence of HBV DNA with the Amplicor HBV Monitor Test. In patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B, the median of serum HBV DNA levels (8.3 x 10(8) copies/ml) was significantly higher than that for patients after HBeAg seroconversion (6.2 x 10(3) copies/ml) and than that for inactive HBsAg carriers (5.6 x 10(3) copies/ml). None of the patients who had recovered from hepatitis B had detectable HBV DNA in serum. Quantitative PCR proved to be a valuable tool for identification of different states of HBV infection. This technique was found to be a good method for determination of serum HBV DNA levels both for patients with HBeAg seroconversion and for inactive carriers who showed low viremia not detectable by conventional hybridization assays.

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Figures

FIG. 1
FIG. 1
Serum HBV DNA levels (copies per milliliter) in patients with HBeAg-positive CHB (group 1a), in patients with HBeAg-negative CHB (group 1b), in patients after HbeAg seroconversion during alpha interferon treatment (group 2), in inactive carriers (group 3), and in patients who had recovered from CHB more than 12 months prior to blood collection (group 4).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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