Conclusions: Occult HBV infection is frequent among hemodialysis patients in our geographical area, particularly correlated to the presence of isolated anti-HBcAg and anti-HCV antibod ies. Thus, the presence of isolated anti-HBcAg should prompt the clinician to evaluate a possible occult HBV infection especially if anti-HCV antibodies are also detectable; this condition, in fact, seems to strongly predict the detection of HBV DNA.
PMID: 19557715 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Journal of Nephrology)