Occult hepatitis B virus infection.

Occult hepatitis B virus infection affects up to 40% of individuals with isolated anti-HBc, with prevalence varying from 0.8% in the general population to over 40% in high-risk groups.

• Why it matters: Diagnosing OBI is difficult due to extremely low and fluctuating HBV DNA levels, which hampers accurate detection and risk assessment, impacting blood safety and patient management.
• What they did: The study reviews epidemiology, diagnosis, mechanisms, virology, and clinical management of OBI, emphasizing the use of serum HBV DNA testing combined with serological markers like anti-HBc.
• The result: Understanding OBI's prevalence and diagnostic challenges informs strategies to prevent HBV transmission, manage reactivation risks, and address its role in disease progression and hepatocellular carcinoma.