الفهرس 
Introduction and Aim of the workOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The aim of the work is to:
1- Determine the prevalence of occult HBV related chronic liver disease.
2- Investigate the possible role of occult HBV infection in HCV related chronic liver disease by clarifying the clinical and laboratory features of occult HBV infection in HCV related chronic liver disease, taking into consideration that Egypt represents an area of high HCV prevalence.
Conclusion:
Using highly sensitive PCR technique able to detect 102 viral copies per 1 ml of serum, occult HBV infection was detected in 28.6% of patients with HCV related chronic liver diseases and only in 5% in the control group. This may be due to similar transmission modes and binding of the HCV core protein to HBV-RNA polymerase involved in HBV replicative cycle and suppression of HBV gene expression and replication.
Occult HBV infection was highest in HCC (40%), followed by liver cirrhosis (30%) and the lowest percentage was found in chronic hepatitis (15%). occult HBV infection was correlated with the severity of chronic liver disease as denoted by child’s grading. It may be implicated in the disease progression and the development of HCC in patients with HCV related chronic liver diseases.
Occult HBV infection was frequently associated with the HBV seromarkers (positive anti-HBs antibodies and/ or anti-HBc antibodies) and particularly anti-HBc only, thus hepatitis C virus infection may favor this unusual hepatitis B virus marker pattern. The positively of anti-HBc antibodies either alone or in association with anti-HBs antibodies was the only independent predictor of occult HBV in HCV- related chronic liver disease.
Occult HBV infection in HBV seronegative patients (negative anti-HBs antibodies and anti-HBc antibodies), may imply a special clinical entity in the course of HBV infection in which HBV may replicates without any serological marker.