J Formos Med Assoc
-
Occult hepatitis B infection (OHB) is not rare in countries that are endemic for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Notably, OHB has been shown to play a role in the progression of liver diseases, including the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the data is inconsistent. We aim to clarify the contribution of concurrent OHB to the progression of liver diseases in a long-term cohort of patients with HCV infection and to investigate the value of total anti-hepatitis B core (anti-HBc) antibody as a surrogate OHB biomarker. ⋯ OHB infection may not contribute to the development of adverse liver outcomes in patients with chronic HCV.