Detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA levels among seropositive HBsAg patients in Basrah province, Iraq

Abstract

Hepatitis B is an indolent disease that seldom causes symptoms until complications of cirrhosis and liver cancer occur. The level of circulating HBV has recently been shown to be the strongest predictor of the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to determine hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA concentration as a guide for disease development and the natural history of the disease, and also to design antiviral therapy regimens in seropositive HBsAg patients in Basrah province. 38 seropositive HBsAg patients were used in this research. Quantitative serum HBV-DNA assay was carried out using the RT-PCR technique and the mean ages of the patients were 43 ± 12 years. The number of patients with undetectable HBV-DNA (least than 200 copies/ml) was 9/38 (23.69%). HBV-DNA above 10 5 copies/ml (46163359 ± 47377134) was observed in 17/38 (44.73%) of the patients (p<0.05), while HBV-DNA less than 10 5 copies/ml (22252 ± 21016) was observed in 12/38 (31.58%) of the patients. It was concluded that HBV DNA viral load was higher in HBeAg negative or positive chronic hepatitis patients than in those with inactive HBsAg carrier.