Hepatitis B virus DNA is frequently found in liver biopsy samples from hepatitis C virus-infected chronic hepatitis patients

Human hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are two major etiologic agents of chronic hepatitis, which is closely related to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A possible involvement of HBV co‐infection was investigated in ongoing HCV‐related liver diseases in HCV‐infected patients. A prevalence of anti‐HBc in anti‐HCV–positive/HBsAg‐negative chronic hepatitis patients and a low copy number of HBV DNA were found in most of the liver biopsy samples of anti‐HCV–positive/HBsAg‐negative patients. The present data suggest that HBV co‐infects frequently with HCV and may play an important role in the development of HCC in the anti‐HCV–positive/HBsAg‐negative patients with chronic hepatitis. J. Med. Virol. 54:249–255, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.