Prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection in haemodialysis patients from central Greece

AIM:To assess the hepatitis B virus(HBV)-DNA and the prevalence of occult HBV infection in end-stage renal failure(ESRF)patients from Central Greece. METHODS:Sera from 366 ESRF patients attending five out of six dialysis units from Central Greece were investigated for HBV-DNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction.Only serum samples with repeatedly detectable HBV-DNA were considered positive.IgG antibodies to hepatitis C virus(anti-HCV)were tested by a third generation enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),while IgG antibodies to hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV)were tested by two commercially available ELISAs.RESULTS:HBV-DNA was detected in 15/366 patient (4.1%)and HBsAg in 20/366(5.5%).The prevalenc of occult HBV infection was 0.9%(3/346 HBsAg negative patients).Occult HBV was not associate with a specific marker of HBV infection or anti-HCV o anti-HEV reactivity.There was no significant differenc in HBV-DNA titres,demographic and biochemica features,between patients with occult HBV infectio and those with HBsAg-positive chronic HBV infection. CONCLUSION:In central Greece,4%of ESRF patient had detectable HBV-DNA,though in this setting,th prevalence of occult HBV seems to be very low(0.9%).

Reversion of severe hepatopulmonary syndrome in a non cirrhotic patient after corticosteroid treatment for granulomatous hepatitis:A case report and review of the literature

肝肺症候群(HPS ) 包括肺内的脉管的膨胀的肝疾病，反常肺的煤气的交换和证据被定义为一个临床的三个一组。我们报导在最后年与疲劳，长持续的发烧，体重减轻，门静脉高血压的符号，肝脾大，胆汁郁积和进步 dyspnoea 介绍的 61 岁的男性。临床，实验室和组织检查所见证实了肉芽肿肝炎的诊断。由于肝的导致 granuloma 的门静脉高血压的 HPS 被证明是由提高对比的回响心动描记法证实了的病人的严重血氧不足的原因。在皮质甾治疗以后的 HPS 的回复被新提高对比的回响心动描记法与胆汁郁积的酶的正规化和病人的条件的改进一起证实。这是在有肝的肉芽肿的一个非肝脏硬化症的病人的 HPS 的完全的回复的第一个案例，显示在肝疾病的那肺内分流是功能的现象， HPS 能甚至在象在这种情况中的其他的肝参与被开发。