Diagnosis of hepatitis B infections and monitoring of treatment

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1386-6532(01)00147-0Get rights and content

Abstract

Worldside viral hepatitis is still recognized as a mojor problem particularly in developing countries. During the past two decades there has been important progress in the field of viral hepatitis; the adapatation of molecular biology techniques to viral hepatitis has proven to be of great utility in the diagnosis of ‘classical’ hepatitis viruses, in monitoring during treatment, and also in learning more about the ‘new’ viruses. Here, the progress and pitfalls of serologic and molecular diagnosis techniques for viral hepatitis, unusual profiles and benefits of quantitative DNA/RNA tests will be discussed.

Section snippets

Serologic diagnosis of HBV infections

The laboratory diagnosis of HBV infections is complicated by the rich antigenic structure, extensive use of molecular biology techniques for nucleic acid determination and potential for chronic infections. Over the genome of partially double-stranded HBV composed of 3200 nucleotides, four open reading frame (ORF) have been identified: S, C, X and P regions. This four gene regions are not placed separately in HBV–DNA; on the contrary, HBV genes are integrated and on starting reading formulation

Molecular diagnosis of HBV infections

The adaptation of molecular techniques to HBV has proven to be of great utility in the diagnosis of infection as well as in monitoring during treatment. HBV–DNA is detectable in serum prior to biochemical evidence of hepatitis and persists through the course of both acute and chronic disease.

In HBV–DNA examinations, it is possible to show 0.1–1 pg HBV–DNA or 105 viral particles per ml by classical hybridization techniques performed in solid phase like nitrocellulose membranes (Dot-blot) or

References (33)

  • W.F. Carman et al.

    Mutation preventing formation of hepatitis B e antigen in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection

    Lancet

    (1989)
  • K.H. Chau et al.

    Serodiagnosis of recent hepatitis B infection by IgM class Anti-HBc

    Hepatology

    (1983)
  • P. Coursaget et al.

    Detection of hepatitis B virus DNA by polymerase chain reactions in HBsAg negative Senegalese patients suffering from cirrhosis or primary liver cancer

    FEMS Microbiol. Lett.

    (1991)
  • S. Dusheiko et al.

    Clinical diagnosis of hepatitis B infection: applications of the polymerase chain reaction

  • G. Fiordalisi et al.

    High genomic variability in the pre-C region of hepatitis B virus in anti-HBe, HBV–DNA positive chronic hepatitis

    J. Med. Virol.

    (1990)
  • K. Gotoh et al.

    Nucleotide sequence of hepatitis B virus isolated from subjects without serum Anti-hepatitis B core antibody

    J. Med. Virol.

    (1995)
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text