Sera collected from 100 chronic HCV patients (negative for HBsAg and positive for anti-HCV and HCV RNA) were tested for anti-HBc, anti-HBe and anti-HBs by ELISA, HCV-RNA viral load was determined by real-time PCR (TaqMan probe technique) and HBV DNA was detected with primers encoding the surface (S), core (C), polymerase (pol) and X genes. In addition, determination of liver enzymes including aspartate and alanine aminotransferases (AST, ALT) activities was performed.
Fifty-eight percent of the study group were positive for anti-HBc. Meanwhile, only 18 cases (18%) were positive for the polymerase gene by nested PCR and were considered as occult HBV. Among these 18 polymerase gene positive patients (occult HBV) anti-HBc was detected among 9 (50%) of cases. Different gene profiles were noticed among the 18 polymerase gene positive patients.