Occult hepatitis B virus infection in hematopoietic stem cell donors in a hepatitis B virus endemic area

• Published in: Journal of hepatology Vol. 42; no. 6; pp. 813 - 819
• Main Authors: Hui, Chee-kin, Sun, Jian, Au, Wing-yan, Lie, Albert K.W., Yueng, Yui-hung, Zhang, Hai-ying, Lee, Nikki P., Hou, Jin-ling, Liang, Raymond, Lau, George K.K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01.06.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Donors - statistics & numerical data; Carrier State - epidemiology; DNA, Viral - blood; Endemic Diseases; Female; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Hepatitis B virus - genetics; Hepatitis B virus - isolation & purification; Hepatitis B, Chronic - epidemiology; Hepatitis B, Chronic - prevention & control; Hong Kong - epidemiology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Occult HBV; Predictive Value of Tests; Prevalence; Prevalence of occult HBV; Retrospective Studies; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the digestive system; Viral hepatitis; Hong Kong; Prevalence of occult HBV; Occult HBV; Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; Human; Prevalence; Hepatitis A virus; Picornaviridae; Stem cell; Orthohepadnavirus; Hematopoietic cell; Homograft; Hepatic disease; Epidemiology; Hepatovirus; Infection; Virus; Viral hepatitis B; Viral hepatitis A; Donor; Hepadnaviridae; Viral disease; Digestive diseases; Graft; Hepatitis B virus
• ISSN: 0168-8278; 1600-0641
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2005.01.018

The acquisition of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection following organ transplantation from donors with occult HBV infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of occult HBV in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation donors. We performed a retrospective study on 124 consecutive hepatitis B surface antigen negative HSC donors. Their serum samples were analyzed by PCR for the pre-S/S, pre-core/core and X regions of the virus. Samples reactive by at least two PCR assays were considered HBV-DNA positive. Nineteen of the 124 HSC donors (15.3%) had occult HBV infection. Sixteen of these 19 donors with occult HBV infection (84.2%) tested positive for hepatitis B core antibody while 78 of 105 subjects (74.3%) without occult HBV infection were also positive ( P=0.56). Fourteen of the 19 donors (73.7%) with occult HBV infection tested positive for hepatitis B surface antibody while 67 of the 105 subjects without occult HBV infection were also positive ( P=0.45). The prevalence of occult HBV infection among HSC donors in Hong Kong is high. Anti-HBc and anti-HBs status had no significant correlation with the presence of occult HBV infection.