Insight on the hepatitis B virus and host immune mechanisms in the context of occult hepatitis |
The Egyptian Journal of Immunology Volume 31 (1), January, 2024 Pages: 87 – 105. www.Ejimmunology.org https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.310110 |
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Manal El Said1,2, Asim M. Alshanberi3, Faten Abouelmagd2,4, Mohammed Shaikhomer5, and Fatma E. Hassan6,7 |
1Department of Microbiology and Infection Prevention & Control Unit, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza 12411, Egypt.
2General Medicine Practice Program, Department of Microbiology, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah 21442, Saudi Arabia. 3Department of Community Medicine & Pilgrims Health Care, Umm Alqura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. 4Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt. 5Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 6General Medicine Practice Program, Department of Physiology, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah 21442, Saudi Arabia. 7Department of Medical Physiology, Kasr Alainy, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza11562, Egypt. |
Corresponding author: Manal El Said, Department of Microbiology and Infection Prevention & Control Unit, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza 12411, Egypt, and General Medicine Practice Program, Department of Microbiology, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah 21442, Saudi Arabia. Email: microbiology1.jed@bmc.edu.sa |
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus infection is the 10th leading cause of death around the world. Occult HBV infection (OBI) represents those with a viral load of < 104 IU/ml. Among permanent blood recipients, OBI appears to be the most common cause of posttransfusion hepatitis. Moreover, OBI may reduce hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment responsiveness in people with chronic HCV infection, and OBI may become acutely reactivated when on immunosuppression or potentially contribute to chronic liver disease. Since most previous studies used either small sample sizes, diverse populations, or were cross-sectional in design, it is possible that using multiple techniques with varying sensitivity for HBV DNA measurement in the liver or serum will shed light on discrepancies in the impact of OBI in cases with chronic liver disease. The purpose of this research is to review many elements of OBI, such as its prevalence, the hepatitis B virus and host immune mechanisms, diagnostic procedures, clinical implications, therapy, and prevention strategies.
Keywords: Hepatitis B virus, occult, classification, immune mechanisms, clinical impact, diagnosis.
Date received: 15 September 2023; accepted: 25 November 2023
PMID:
38224274
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