Occult (latent) hepatitis B virus: problems of laboratory diagnostics

Abstract

The chronic viral hepatitis B natural course goes through 5 stages, while chronic infection is characterized by the HBsAg persistent presence at least 6 months (with or without concomitant HBeAg) with the exception of the disease occult form. Of particular interest (and greatest difficulties) from the clinical laboratory diagnostics view point is the fifth stage of CHB development - occult or latent or HBsAg-negative hepatitis B.

In the present review, occult HBV detection cases in blood donors, patients diagnosed with chronic viral hepatitis C and cryptogenic hepatitis are considered. Promising immunologic markers and epigenetic factors for the occult HBV detection are considered. The HBsAg-negative viral hepatitis B laboratory diagnosis problems using the ELISA method and molecular biological methods, including the method for quantifying covalently-

closed circular DNA HBV in Liver puncture biopsies are discussed. Despite HBsAg-negative HBV numerous studies and the presumably ubiquitous occurrence of this disease form, data on the this phenomenon prevalence in individual geographic regions and/or patients groups are not enough, the search for reliable laboratory markers to assess the phenomenon prevalence continues.

Keywords:chronic hepatitis B, occult HBV, HBsAg-negative HBV, covalently closed circular DNA HBV, HBV diagnostics, HBV viral load

For citation: Semenov A.V., Ostankova Yu.V. Occult (latent) hepatitis B virus: problems of laboratory diagnostics. Infektsionnye bolezni: novosti, mneniya, obuchenie [Infectious Diseases: News, Opinions, Training]. 2019; 8 (3): 60-9. doi: 10.24411/2305-3496-2019-13010 (in Russian)

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CHIEF EDITOR
Aleksandr V. Gorelov
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, MD, Head of Infection Diseases and Epidemiology Department of the Scientific and Educational Institute of Clinical Medicine named after N.A. Semashko ofRussian University of Medicine, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Professor of the Department of Childhood Diseases, Clinical Institute of Children's Health named after N.F. Filatov, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Deputy Director for Research, Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Rospotrebnadzor (Moscow, Russian Federation)

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