Immunoprophylaxis failure and vaccine response in infants born to mothers with chronic hepatitis B infection in Djibouti

BACKGROUND In endemic areas,vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus(HBV)remains a major source of the global reservoir of infected people.Eliminating mother-to-child transmission(MTCT)of HBV is at the heart of World Health Organization’s goal of reducing the incidence of HBV in children to less than 0.1%by 2030.Universal screening for hepatitis B during pregnancy and neonatal vaccination are the main preventive measures.AIM To evaluate the efficacy of HBV vaccination combined with one dose of immunoglobulin in children born to hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)-positive mothers in Djibouti city.METHODS We conducted a study in a prospective cohort of HBsAg-positive pregnant women and their infants.The study ran from January 2021 to May 2022,and infants were followed up to 7 mo of age.HBV serological markers and viral load in pregnant women were measured using aVidas microparticle enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(Biomérieux,Paris,France)and the automated Amplix platform(Biosynex,Strasbourg,France).All infants received hepatitis B immunoglobulin and were vaccinated against HBV at birth.These infants were closely monitored to assess their seroprotective response and for failure of immunoprophylaxis.Simple logistic regression was also used to identify risk factors associated with immunoprophylaxis failure and poor vaccine response.All statistical analyses were performed with version 4.0.1 of the R software.RESULTS Of the 50 pregnant women recruited,the median age was 31 years,ranging from 18 years to 41 years.The MTCT rate in this cohort was 4%(2/50)in HBsAg-positive women and 67%(2/3)in hepatitis B e antigen-positive women with a viral load>200000 IU/mL.Of the 48 infants who did not fail immunoprophylaxis,8(16%)became poor responders(anti-HB<100 mIU/mL)after HBV vaccination and hepatitis B immunoglobulin,while 40(84%)infants achieved a good level of seroprotection(anti-HB>100 mIU/mL).Factors associated with this failure of immunoprophylaxis were maternal HBV DNA levels(>200000 IU/mL)and hepatitis B e antigen-positive status(odds ratio=158,95%confidence interval:5.05-4958,P<0.01).Birth weight<2500 g was associated with a poor immune response to vaccination(odds ratio=34,95%confidence interval:3.01-383.86,P<0.01).CONCLUSION Despite a failure rate of immunoprophylaxis higher than the World Health Organization target,this study showed that the combination of immunoglobulin and HBV vaccine was effective in preventing MTCT of HBV.Therefore,further studies are needed to better understand the challenges associated with immunoprophylaxis failure in infants in Djibouti city.

Clinical effect of spleen aminopeptide on improving liver function damage and immune function in children with infant hepatitis syndrome

BACKGROUND Infant hepatitis syndrome(IHS)is a clinical syndrome in infants less than one year of age with generalized skin jaundice,abnormal liver function,and hepato-megaly due to various etiologies such as infection.AIM To investigate the effect of IHS patients,after treatment with arsphenamine-based peptides,on patients'liver function damage and immune function.METHODS Of 110 patients with IHS treated in our hospital from January 2019 to January 2021 were grouped according to the randomized residual grouping method,with 5 cases in each group shed due to transfer,etc.Ultimately,50 cases remained in each group.The control group was treated with reduced glutathione,and the treat-ment group was treated with sesquiterpene peptide based on the control group.Observe and compare the differences in indicators after treatment.RESULTS The comparison of serum total bilirubin,direct bilirubin,and serum alanine transferase after treatment was significantly different and lower in the treatment group than in the control group(P<0.05).The comparison of CD4+,CD3+,CD4+/CD8+after treatment was significantly different and higher in the treatment group than in the control group,and the comparison was statist-ically significant(P<0.05).The complication of the two groups showed that the rash,cough and sputum,elevated platelets,and gastrointestinal reactions in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group,and the differences were statistically significant by test(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The comparative study of IHS treated with arsphenamine combined with reduced glutathione is more effective.

Current perspectives of viral hepatitis

Viral hepatitis represents a major danger to public health,and is a globally leading cause of death.The five liver-specific viruses:Hepatitis A virus,hepatitis B virus,hepatitis C virus,hepatitis D virus,and hepatitis E virus,each have their own unique epidemiology,structural biology,transmission,endemic patterns,risk of liver complications,and response to antiviral therapies.There remain few options for treatment,in spite of the increasing prevalence of viral-hepatitiscaused liver disease.Furthermore,chronic viral hepatitis is a leading worldwide cause of both liver-related morbidity and mortality,even though effective treatments are available that could reduce or prevent most patients’complications.In 2016,the World Health Organization released its plan to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by the year 2030,along with a discussion of current gaps and prospects for both regional and global eradication of viral hepatitis.Today,treatment is sufficiently able to prevent the disease from reaching advanced phases.However,future therapies must be extremely safe,and should ideally limit the period of treatment necessary.A better understanding of pathogenesis will prove beneficial in the development of potential treatment strategies targeting infections by viral hepatitis.This review aims to summarize the current state of knowledge on each type of viral hepatitis,together with major innovations.

Perinatal transmission in infants of mothers with chronic hepatitis B in California

To evaluate maternal hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA as risk for perinatal HBV infection among infants of HBV-infected women in California. METHODSRetrospective analysis among infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mothers who received post vaccination serologic testing (PVST) between 2005 and 2011 in California. Demographic information was collected from the California Department of Public Health Perinatal Hepatitis B Program databaseand matched to birth certificate records. HBV DNA level and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status were obtained from three large commercial laboratories in California and provider records if available and matched to mother infant pairs. Univariate analysis compared infected and uninfected infants. Multivariate analysis was restricted to infected infants and controls with complete maternal HBV DNA results using a predefined high HBV DNA level of > 2 × 107 IU/mL, a 5:1 ratio of cases to controls and a two-sided confidence level of 95%. RESULTSA total of 17687 infants were born to HBsAg positive mothers in California between Jan 1 2005 and Dec 31, 2011. Among 11473 infants with PVST, only 125 (1.1%) were found to be HBV infected. Among these infected infants, lapses in Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) occurred in only 9 infants. However, PEP errors were not significantly different between infected and uninfected infants. Among the 347 uninfected and infected infants who had maternal HBeAg and HBV DNA level, case-control analysis found HBeAg positivity (70.4% vs 28.9%, OR = 46.76, 95%CI: 6.05-361.32, P < 0.001) and a maternal HBV DNA level ≥ 2 × 107 IU/mL (92.6% vs 18.5%, OR = 54.5, 95%CI: 12.22-247.55, P < 0.001) were associated with perinatal HBV infection. In multivariate logistic regression, maternal HBV DNA level ≥ 2 × 107 IU/mL was the only significant independent predictor of perinatal HBV infection. CONCLUSIONIn California, transmission is low and most infected infants receive appropriate PEP and vaccination. Maternal HBV DNA ≥ 2 × 107 IU/mL is associated with high risk of perinatal infection.

Seroprotection after hepatitis B vaccination amongst infants aged between 12 and 24 months in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Objective:To assess levels of HBs Ab amongst infants who received hepatitis B vaccine in the Expanded Program on Immunization in Vietnam.Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out at 16 community health centers from February 2016 to July 2017.Eligible infants were tested for HBs Ab and HBs Ag.Structured questionnaires were used to collect relevant information about the demographics of the parents/caregivers and their infants after physical examination.Results:A total of 199 eligible infants were selected with a mean age of(17.3±4.5)months.Protective antibody levels with HBs Ab≥10 m IU/m L were detected in 68.3%of infants.Of these,antibody levels from 10 to 99 m IU/m L were 48.5%of those tested and antibody levels≥100 ml U/m L were recorded as 51.5%.No cases were recorded of being infected with hepatitis B virus.The rate of positive HBs Ab level in those who were not wasting and≥18 months old was less than that among those who were<18 months old(OR 0.49,95%CI:0.26-0.92,P<0.05)while the infants with wasting and<18 months were less likely to be positive HBs Ab than those who were not wasting and of the same age group(OR 0.15,95%CI:0.04-0.55,P<0.05).Conclusions:Seroprotection against hepatitis B virus was low in the infants tested(at 68.3%),which suggests that the hepatitis B vaccine should be administered with one additional dose for infants between 12 and 24 months of age,particularly those with wasting.

Hepatitis B surface antigen-negative but hepatitis B envelope antigen-positive false occult hepatitis B virus infection:A case report

BACKGROUND Occult hepatitis B infection(OBI)is characterized by the detection of hepatitis B virus(HBV)DNA in serum(usually HBV DNA<200 IU/mL)or the liver but negativity for hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg).The diagnosis of OBI relies on the sensitivity of assays used in the detection of HBV DNA and HBsAg.HBsAg assays with inadequate sensitivity or inability to detect HBV S variants may lead to misdiagnosis of OBI in people with overt HBV infection.CASE SUMMARY We report a HBsAg-negative but hepatitis B envelope antigen-positive patient who had a significant HBV DNA level.The patient was initially diagnosed as having OBI.However,sequence analysis revealed a unique insertion of amino acid residues at positions 120-124 in the S protein,which affects the formation of a disulfide bond that is associated with the formation of a loop.It is well known that there is an overlap between the S protein and Pol protein.We found that this new insertion site occurred in polymerase/reverse transcriptase domain,indi-cating that this insertion might be involved in HBV pathogenicity.The patient was finally diagnosed with a false OBI.CONCLUSION An insertion of amino acid residues at positions 120-124 of the S protein affects the formation of immunodominant epitopes and results in negative HBsAg levels.

Is there a need for universal double reflex testing of HBsAg-positive individuals for hepatitis D infection?

Hepatitis D virus(HDV)can infect HBsAg-positive individuals,causing rapid fibrosis progression,early decompensation,increased hepatocellular carcinoma risk,and higher mortality than hepatitis B virus(HBV)mono-infection.Most countries lack high-quality HDV prevalence data,and the collection techniques employed often bias published data.In recent meta-analyses,HDV prevalence in HBsAg-positive patients reaches 5%-15%and is even significantly higher in endemic areas.Since HBV vaccination programs were implemented,HDV prevalence has decreased among younger populations.However,owing to immigrant influx,it has increased in some Western countries.The current practice of HDV screening in HBsAg-positive individuals is stepwise,based on physician’s discretion,and limited to at-risk populations and may require numerous visits.Double reflex testing,which includes anti-HDV testing in all HBsAg-positive individuals and then HDV RNA testing for anti-HDV-positive ones,is uncommon.Reflex testing can identify more HDV infection cases and link identified patients to further care and follow-up.Moreover,laboratory-based double reflex screening is less biased than physician-led testing.Therefore,health-care providers should learn about reflex testing,and federal and provincial hepatitis control programs should implement laboratory-based double reflex testing to obtain reliable HDV prevalence estimates.The test’s cost-effectiveness depends on the number of HBV-positive patients screened to identify one HDV-positive patient.Such testing may be viable in areas with low HBsAg but high HDV prevalence.However,its economic impact on areas with low HDV prevalence needs further study.

Successful treatment of infantile hepatitis B with lamivudine: A case report

BACKGROUND How to treat infantile hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection remains a controversial issue.The nucleoside analogue lamivudine(LAM)has been approved to treat children(2 to 17 years old)with chronic hepatitis B.Here,we aimed to investigate the benefit of LAM treatment in infantile hepatitis B.CASE SUMMARY A 4-mo-old infant born to a hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)-positive woman was found to be infected by HBV during a health checkup.Liver chemistry and HBV seromarker tests showed alanine aminotransferase of 106 U/L,HBsAg of 685.2 cut-off index,hepatitis B“e”antigen of 1454.0 cut-off index,and HBV DNA of>1.0×10^(9) IU/mL.LAM treatment(20 mg/d)was initiated,and after 19 mo,serum HBsAg was entirely cleared and hepatitis B surface antibody was present.The patient received LAM treatment for 2 years in total and has been followed for 3 years.During this period,serum hepatitis B surface antibody has been persistently positive,and serum HBV DNA was undetectable.CONCLUSION Early treatment of infantile hepatitis B with LAM could be safe and effective。

Noninvasive evaluation of hepatic fibrosis in children with infant hepatitis syndrome

AIM： To elucidate the impact of hemodynamic parameters on ultrasonography and serum fibrosis markers for the assessment of liver fibrosis in the children with infant hepatitis syndrome （IHS）. METHODS： Forty-one children with IHS and 46 healthy infants were examined by ultrasonography, and several hemodynamic indices such as peak systolic velocity （PSV） and resistant index （RI） of proper hepatic artery （PHA） were measured. Serum fibrosis markers including hyaluronic acid （HA）, pre-collagen type-Ⅲ （PC-Ⅲ）, collagen type Ⅳ （C-Ⅳ）, and laminin （LN） were assayed by radioimmunoassays. In children with IHS, liver tissues were obtained either by ultrasound-guided liver biopsy （n = 35） or in the course of operation （n = 6）. The stages of hepatic fibrosis were scored as mild （S1 and S2）, moderate （S3）, or severe （S4） according to liver histological diagnosis. Multiple groups comparative and Spearman correlative analyses were carried out. RESULTS： Histopathologically, 39 children （95.1%） were found to have hepatic fibrosis, 12 of them stage Sl or S2, 12 stage S3, and 15 stage S4. PSV, RI of the PHA, and serum HA showed a consecutive increase from mild to severe hepatic fibrosis and a close positive correlation with hepatic fibrosis in IHS group （r = 0.717, 0.745 and 0.712, respectively, P = 0.001）. The Doppler waveform of HV was also positively correlated with the degree of hepatic fibrosis in IHS group （r = 0.783, P 〈 0.001）.CONCLUSION： Combination of ultrasonic studies on the hepatic hemodynamics with the evaluation of serum HA may provide an indicator for hepatic fibrosis in patients with IHS, This may be a useful noninvasive method for the diagnosis and evaluation of the prognosis of IHS.

Alterations of biliary biochemical constituents and cytokines in infantile hepatitis syndrome

AIM: To investigate the biliary biochemical constituents and cytokines in infantile hepatitis syndrome (IHS). METHODS: From 42 IHS subjects and 21 controls, serum and biliary biochemical constituents, including total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT), total bile acid (TBA), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) both in bile and serum, were assayed. The subjects with IHS were divided into a cholestasis group (n = 21) and a hepatitis group (n = 21). RESULTS: In the cholestasis group, serum TBIL, DBIL, ALT, γ-GT, TBA, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were higher than those in the control (P < 0.01); and also the biliary TBIL, DBIL, γ-GT and TBA levels were lower than those in the control, whereas biliary IL-6 and TNF-α levels were higher than those in the control (P < 0.01). In the cholestasis group, serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were lower than those in bile (P < 0.01). In the hepatitis group, serum DBIL, ALT, γ-GT, TBA, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were higher than those in the control (P < 0.01 or 140.57 ± 70.32 vs 79.06 ± 35.25, P < 0.05), while biliary TBIL, DBIL, γ-GT and TBA levels were lower than those in the control (P < 0.01), and biliary IL-6 and TNF-α levels were higher than those in the control (P < 0.01). In the hepatitis group, serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were also lower than those in bile (P < 0.01). Serum TBIL, DBIL, γ-GT, IL-6 and TNF-α levels in the cholestasis group were higher than those in the hepatitis group, while biliary IL-6 and TNF-α levels in the cholestasis group were higher than those in the hepatitisgroup. Biliary IL-6 and TNF-α were found to be more significantly increased than serum IL-6 and TNF-α in IHS (P < 0.01). The biliary IL-6 and TNF-α levels were positively correlated with serum DBIL, TBA and γ-GT levels in IHS subjects. CONCLUSION: Biliary biochemical constituents alter in coincidence with pathological changes in hepatocellular injury. Cholestasis is more serious in IHS patients of cholestasis subtype. Assay of biliary IL-6 and TNF-α levels can be specific and sensitive to determine the inflammatory status of impaired liver in IHS.

A META-analysis of the association between breastfeeding and risk of infant hepatitis C virus infection

Objective: To investigate the association between breastfeeding and infant acquired infection of Hepatitis C Virus(HCV). Methods: To obtain studies eligible for META-analysis, China biological medicine discs(CBMD) and MEDLINE citations were surveyed. Criteria for enrollment of published studies for META-analysis were based on principle by Abdolmaleky HM[1]. Odd ratio(OR) was calculated and summarized by fixed effect model or random effects using RevMan software. The heterogeneity of ORs was assessed using an χ2 test of goodness of fit. The significance of the pooled OR was determined by the z-test. The strength of association was summarized usingOR. An OR>1.0 indicated a positive association between the risk factor and infants HCV infection. Results:After searching in Medline and CBMD, 120 articles were enrolled for further identification. Thirty-seven were of review on relative fields and were excluded. Abstracts of remaining articles were carefully read, and finally, only 6 articles met, the standards for enrollment criteria. After analysis of the factor concerned, no significant association was found between breastfeeding and infant HCV infection, with a pooled OR equal to 0.60(95%CI = 0.22-1.60), and proved not to be of risk factors on infant acquired infection of HCV. Conclusion: Breastfeeding dose not increase the risk of infant acquired infection of HCV.

Giant cell hepatitis with autoimmune hemolytic anemia in a nine month old infant

Giant cell hepatitis(GCH)with autoimmune hemolytic anemia is a rare entity,limited to young children,with an unknown pathogenesis.We report the case of 9-mo old who presented with fever,diarrhea and jaundice four days before hospitalization.Physical examination found pallor,jaundice and hepatosplenomegaly.The laboratory workup showed serum total bilirubin at 101 μmol/L,conjugated bilirubin at 84 μmol/L,hemolytic anemia,thrombocytopenia and immunoglobulin G(IgG)and anti-C3d positive direct Coombs' test.The antinuclear,anti-smooth muscle and liver kidney microsomes 1 non-organ specific autoantibodies,antiendomisium antibodies were negative.Serological assays for viral hepatitis B and C,cytomegalovirus,herpes simplex and Epstein Barr virus were negative.The association of acute liver failure,Evan's syndrome,positive direct Coomb's test of mixed type(IgG and C3)and the absence of organ and non-organ specific autoantibodies suggested the diagnosis of GCH.The diagnosis was confirmed by a needle liver biopsy.The patient was treated by corticosteroids,immunomodulatory therapy and azathioprine but died with septicemia.

STUDY ON THE MOTHER TO INFANT TRANSMISSIONOF HEPATITIS C VIRUS BY COMBINED ASSAYOF ANTI-HCV AND HCV-RNA

objective The mother to infant transmission of Hey was prospectively investigated.Methods Hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection was tested by the combination assay of anti-HCV andHCV- RNA. Six hundred and ten pregnant women were investigated for HCV infection, and infants from HCVinfected mothers were followed up at birth, 3, 6, 9, 12 months after birth to investigate HCV infection. HCVgenotypes were detected in all persons with HCV- RNA positive. HCV was quantified by branch DNA signalamplification assay (bDNA) in pregnant women. Results Among 610 pregnant women, 18 infected HCV, theinfection rate of HCV in pregnant women was 2.95% (18/610). Five of 18 infants from 18 HCV infected mothersinfected HCV, they had no history of operation, or blood transfusion and other risk exposure to HCV, so the HCVinfection was irc m their mothers, the rate of HCV transmission from mother to infant was 27.8%.HCVgenotype fo was found in 16 pregnant women with HCV- RNA positive, 5 infants and their mothers had the sameHCV genotype(1b) infection. All pregnant women infected HCV have low HCV titer in serum. Conclusion lnthis research, it was noted that HCV could be vertically transmitted from mother to infant even if mother had lowserum HCV titer(≤14.11 ×105/ml). The combination assay of anti - HCV and HCV- RNA was valuable ininvestigating the HCV infection in pregnant women and the transmission of HCV from mother to infant. It haspotential value in diagnosing HCV infection in other population.

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus infection – an important aspect of multifaceted problem

In this editorial we comment on the article published in the recent issue of the W orld Journal of Gastroenterology.We focus specifically on the problem of occult hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection,that is a result of previous hepatitis B(PHB)and a source for reactivation of HBV.The prevalence of PHB is underestimated due to the lack of population testing programs.However,this condition not only com-plicate anticancer treatment,but may be responsible for the development of other diseases,like cancer or autoimmune disorders.Here we unveil possible mecha-nisms responsible for realization of these processes and suggest practical approa-ches for diagnosis and treatment.

Risk of hepatic decompensation from hepatitis B virus reactivation in hematological malignancy treatments

In this editorial,we discussed the apparent discrepancy between the findings described by Colapietro et al,in their case report and data found in the literature.Colapietro et al reported a case of hepatitis B virus(HBV)-related hepatic decompensation in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia and a previously resolved HBV infection who was receiving Bruton’s tyrosine kinase(BTK)inhibitor therapy.First of all,we recapitulated the main aspects of the immune system involved in the response to HBV infection in order to underline the role of the innate and adaptive response,focusing our attention on the protective role of anti-HBs.We then carefully analyzed literature data on the risk of HBV reactivation(HBVr)in patients with previous HBV infection who were treated with either tyrosine kinase inhibitors or BTK inhibitors for their hematologic malignancies.Based on literature data,we suggested that several factors may contribute to the different risks of HBVr:The type of hematologic malignancy;the type of therapy(BTK inhibitors,especially second-generation,seem to be at a higher risk of HBVr than those with tyrosine kinase inhibitors);previous exposure to an anti-CD20 as first-line therapy;and ethnicity and HBV genotype.Therefore,the warning regarding HBVr in the specific setting of patients with hematologic malignancies requires further investigation.

Effect of viral hepatitis on type 2 diabetes:A Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND The effects of viral hepatitis(VH)on type 2 diabetes(T2D)remain controversial.AIM To analyze the causal correlation between different types of VH and T2D using Mendelian randomization(MR).METHODS Single nucleotide polymorphisms of VH,chronic hepatitis B(CHB),chronic hepatitis C(CHC)and T2D were obtained from the BioBank Japan Project,European Bioinformatics Institute,and FinnGen.Inverse variance weighted,MREgger,and weighted median were used to test exposure-outcome associations.The MR-Egger intercept analysis and Cochran’s Q test were used to assess horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity,respectively.Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the robustness of the MR analysis results.RESULTS The MR analysis showed no significant causal relationship between VH and T2D in Europeans[odds ratio(OR)=1.028;95%confidence interval(CI):0.995-1.062,P=0.101].There was a negative causal association between CHB and T2D among East Asians(OR=0.949;95%CI:0.931-0.968,P<0.001),while there was no significant causal association between CHC and T2D among East Asians(OR=1.018;95%CI:0.959-1.081,P=0.551).Intercept analysis and Cochran’s Q test showed no horizontal pleiotropy or heterogeneity(P>0.05).Sensitivity analysis showed that the results were robust.CONCLUSION Among East Asians,CHB is associated with a reduced T2D risk,but this association is limited by HBV load and cirrhosis.Although VH among Europeans and CHC among East Asians are not associated with the risk of T2D,focusing on blood glucose in patients with CHC is still relevant for the early detection of T2D induced by CHCmediated pathways of hepatic steatosis,liver fibrosis,and cirrhosis.

Quantitative hepatitis B core antibody and quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen:Novel viral biomarkers for chronic hepatitis B management

The management of hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection now involves regular and appropriate monitoring of viral activity,disease progression,and treatment response.Traditional HBV infection biomarkers are limited in their ability to predict clinical outcomes or therapeutic effectiveness.Quantitation of HBV core antibodies(qAnti-HBc)is a novel non-invasive biomarker that may help with a variety of diagnostic issues.It was shown to correlate strongly with infection stages,hepatic inflammation and fibrosis,chronic infection exacerbations,and the presence of occult infection.Furthermore,qAnti-HBc levels were shown to be predictive of spontaneous or treatment-induced HBeAg and HBsAg seroclearance,relapse after medication termination,re-infection following liver transplantation,and viral reactivation in the presence of immunosuppression.qAnti-HBc,on the other hand,cannot be relied on as a single diagnostic test to address all problems,and its diagnostic and prognostic potential may be greatly increased when paired with qHBsAg.Commercial qAnti-HBc diagnostic kits are currently not widely available.Because many methodologies are only semi-quantitative,comparing data from various studies and defining universal cut-off values remains difficult.This review focuses on the clinical utility of qAnti-HBc and qHBsAg in chronic hepatitis B management.

Hepatitis E virus infections

Hepatitis E virus(HEV)infection is now endemic worldwide.Most patients with acute infection recover uneventfully.Outbreaks and sporadic cases,particularly in high-risk individuals are emerging increasingly.The patients with risk factors like pregnancy and pre-existing chronic liver disease,present with or progress rapidly to severe disease.Immuno-suppression in post-transplant patients is an additional risk factor.Standardized FDA-approved diagnostic tests are the need of the hour.Further studies are needed to establish guideline-based treatment regimen and outbreak preparedness for HEV to decrease global morbidity,mortality,and healthcare burden.Policies for screening donors and transplant cases are requi-red.

Chronic hepatitis B and occult infection in chemotherapy patients-evaluation in oncology and hemato-oncology settings:The CHOICE study

BACKGROUND Reactivation of hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection is a well-known risk that can occur spontaneously or following immunosuppressive therapies,including cancer chemotherapy.HBV reactivation can cause significant morbidity and even mortality,which are preventable if at-risk individuals are identified through screening and started on antiviral prophylaxis.AIM To determine the prevalence of chronic HBV(CHB)and occult HBV infection(OBI)among oncology and hematology-oncology patients undergoing chemo-therapy.METHODS In this observational study,the prevalence of CHB and OBI was assessed among patients receiving chemotherapy.Serological markers of HBV infection[hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)/anti-hepatitis B core antigen(HBc)]were evaluated for all patients.HBV DNA levels were assessed in those who tested negative for HBsAg but positive for total anti-HBc.RESULTS The prevalence of CHB in the study cohort was determined to be 2.3%[95%confidence interval(95%CI):1.0-4.2].Additionally,the prevalence of OBI among the study participants was found to be 0.8%(95%CI:0.2-2.3).CONCLUSION The findings of this study highlight the importance of screening for hepatitis B infection in oncology and hematology-oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy.Identifying individuals with CHB and OBI is crucial for implementing appropriate antiviral prophylaxis to prevent the reactivation of HBV infection,which can lead to increased morbidity and mortality.

MR Cholangiography and Dynamic Examination of Duodenal Fluid inthe Differential Diagnosis between Extrahepatic Biliary Atresia and Infantile Hepatitis Syndrome

In order to evaluate the value of magnetic resonance cholangiography （MRC） and dynamic examination of duodenal fluid in the differential diagnosis between extrahepatic biliary atresia （EHBA） and infantile hepatitis syndrome （IHS）, 52 patients with infantile cholestatic jaundice were examined by MRC and duodenal fluid examination. Original interpretations were compared with clinical outcome. Calculated sensitivity of duodenal fluid examination in diagnosis of EHBA was 100 %, and specificity was 91.1%. Sensitivity of MRC in the diagnosis of EHBA was 94.4 % and specificity 88.24 %. The sensitivity of MRC and examination of duodenal fluid combined in diagnosis of EHBA was 94.4 % and specificity 97.06 %. We are led to conclude that MRC and dynamic examination of duodenal fluid are useful in the differential diagnosis between IHS and EHBA and the combined use of the two techniques yield better resutls.