HEPATITIS & LIVER DISEASES

Biography

Ghazal Rubi is a UK trained Clinical Molecular Biologist with MPhil degree in Human Genetics & Molecular Biology and PhD Thesis in Human Genetics and Molecular Biology with more than 18 years of experience in molecular biology Pathology Laboratory services. Five years of experience of teaching to M.Phil graduates of a medical students. Working in Molecular Pathology in an international organization. Representing on national as well as international Forum. Doing different projects of Hepatitis C in different groups, ageing of HCV, diabetes & HCV in different groups of Pakistan. Keen to know the latest update on diagnosis and therapeutics to lead the services of making people free from Hepatitis. Working on HCV diagnosis and therapeutic. Being a woman of third world country hard working and devoted as working on different main desks.

Abstract

Background: Serum HBV DNA is a useful and reliable marker to diagnose and monitor HBV infection. The limitation of HBV DNA is that it is expensive and that the assays lack uniformity and standardization. Hence there is a need for more economical and reliable marker. HBsAg quantitation is one such surrogate serological marker. The objective of the current study is to compare the serum hepatitis B virus DNA quantitative Real Time PCR with Hepatitis B reverse transcription PCR (rt-PCR).

Methods: Patients with HBV attending to the outpatient clinic of all departments were enrolled in the study. Patients with undetectable HBV DNA levels and those co-infected with HCV or HIV were excluded from the study. All patients were tested for serological markers like HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBV DNA-PCR. HBsAg quantification was done using conventional ELISA immunoassay. Chi-square was used to compare between HBV DNA (RT-PCR) and (rt-PCR) quantitation. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS and P value of <0.05 was considered significant.

Results: A total of 661 patients were enrolled in the study. Out of 373 serum samples were analyzed by HBV RT-PCR while 281 by HBV rt-PCR. 38.9% were females in group of HBV RT-PCR while, 32.7% in group of HBV rt-PCR and mean age of patients in the entire study group was 33.01 years in group of HBV RT-PCR while, 34.61 years in group of HBV rt-PCR. The mean ALT level was 57.6 U/L in group of HBV RT-PCR while, 51.00 in group of HBV rt-PCR. 16.5% (n=61) in group of HBV RT-PCR while, 8.9% (n=33) in group of HBV rt-PCR were HBeAg positive. 94.9% (n=351) in group of HBV RT-PCR while, 73.2% (n=271) in group of HBV rt-PCR were HBsAg positive. Mean HBV DNA Positive 44.3% in group of HBV RT-PCR while, 14.6% in group of HBV rt-PCR. HBV DNA (positive) levels were significantly higher in HBV RT-PCR patients compared with HBV rt-PCR patients (164 versus 54; p=0.001). Neither HBsAg levels nor HBeAg levels were significant (p=0.573, 0.057). HBV Real Time RT-PCR is best for diagnosis of HBV DNA PCR. Clinical significant result obtained from such test. HBV RT-PCR has become a useful and important technology for diagnosis of HBV DNA PCR, it must be used appropriately.

Conclusions: There is a significant difference between HBV DNA Real Time PCR (RT-PCR) with HBV DNA reverse transcription PCR (rt-PCR) patients with hepatitis B virus but not in HBsAg and HBeAg.

Keywords: Hepatitis B Virus, Real Time PCR, reverse transcription PCR, HBsAg quantitation