Review
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World J Hepatol. Jun 27, 2014; 6(6): 384-393
Published online Jun 27, 2014. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v6.i6.384
Clinical impact of occult hepatitis B virus infection in immunosuppressed patients
Evangelista Sagnelli, Mariantonietta Pisaturo, Salvatore Martini, Pietro Filippini, Caterina Sagnelli, Nicola Coppola
Evangelista Sagnelli, Mariantonietta Pisaturo, Salvatore Martini, Pietro Filippini, Nicola Coppola, Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy
Caterina Sagnelli, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Surgery “F. Magrassi e A. Lanzara”, Second University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to this work.
Correspondence to: Evangelista Sagnelli, Professor, Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Via: L. Armanni 5, 80131 Naples, Italy. evangelista.sagnelli@yahoo.it
Telephone: +39-081-5666719 Fax: +39-081-5666013
Received: November 28, 2013
Revised: March 16, 2014
Accepted: May 31, 2014
Published online: June 27, 2014
Processing time: 218 Days and 17.7 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: In occult Hepatitis B infection (OBI), hepatitis B virus reactivation is more common in anti-HIV-positive subjects, in those in onco-hematological settings, in patients who undergo hemopoietic stem cell transplantation and in those treated with anti-CD20 or anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody. Reactivation may be severe and in nearly 20% of cases it may take a life-threatening course. The use of nucleot(s)ide analogues to prevent this reactivation is mandatory in hepatitis B surface antigen-negative/anti-hepatitis B core-positive patients in all conditions of strong and/or prolonged immunosuppression. We describe the characteristics of OBI in onco-hematological and rheumatological diseases, in solid cancers and in HIV infection.