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Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health

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01-08-2013 | Original Paper

Occult Hepatitis B Infection in the Immigrant Population of Sicily, Italy

Authors: Fabio Tramuto, Carmelo M. Maida, Giuseppina M. E. Colomba, Paola Di Carlo, Giovanni Mazzola, Valentina Li Vecchi, Mario Affronti, Giuseppe Montalto, Francesco Vitale

Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health | Issue 4/2013

Abstract

In Italy, about 7 % of the resident population is represented by immigrants originating from geographic regions at high endemicity for hepatitis B virus infection. This study aims to assess the prevalence of occult HBV infection (OBI) including the identification of HBV-genotypes in a population of immigrants serologically negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Between May 2006 and May 2010, 339 immigrants were tested for markers of HBV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. HBV-DNA was tested by using nested-PCR assays on three different genetic region. HBV-DNA was detected in plasma samples of 11/339 (3.2 %) patients. Most of them had no serological markers of HBV infection, 3/58 (5.2 %) were anti-HBc-alone, and 4/13 (30.8 %) were anti-HIV positive. HIV positivity was the only factor independently associated with the higher probability of observing OBI (OR = 16.5, p < 0.001). No HCV co-infected patients were found. Genotype D was detected in 9/11 (81.8 %) OBI cases, while the remaining two (18.2 %) were classified as genotype E. Although OBI was found at lower rate than expected among immigrants from highly endemic countries, anti-HBc alone positivity was confirmed as a sentinel marker of occult HBV infection. Nevertheless, a marked heterogeneity of HBV markers was found among HBV-DNA positive subjects. Our finding evidenced the predominance of HBV-genotype D viral strains among OBI cases, also in those from geographical areas where overt HBV infections are mainly sustained by viral genotypes other than D.

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Title: Occult Hepatitis B Infection in the Immigrant Population of Sicily, Italy
Authors: Fabio Tramuto
Carmelo M. Maida
Giuseppina M. E. Colomba
Paola Di Carlo
Giovanni Mazzola
Valentina Li Vecchi
Mario Affronti
Giuseppe Montalto
Francesco Vitale
Publication date: 01-08-2013
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Issue 4/2013
Print ISSN: 1557-1912
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1920
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9699-y

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Occult Hepatitis B Infection in the Immigrant Population of Sicily, Italy

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