Detection Of Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infections In Surface Antigen Hbs Ag Negative Blood Donors In The Main Blood Bank In Nineveh –Iraq

Viral hepatitis B is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver and can lead to both acute and chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine how often healthy blood donors who tested negative for HBs Ag, HCV Ab in serum samples from the Nineveh Central Blood Bank tested positive for anti-hepatitis ''B'' core and had "HBV DNA'' in their bodies I conducted this research and examined 2,000 serum samples taken from donors in who can give blood that was negative for HBs Ag ,HCV Ab. (EIAs) were used to determine the titters of HBV Markers in all samples that tested positive for anti-HBc . In addition to checking for HBs Ag we used (PCR) to check for (HBV-DNA) in any sample that came back positive for (anti-HBc) on its own or in combination with other markers for serology. Out of 2,000 blood samples, 20 (or 1% of the total) tested positive for anti-HBc. Out of 20 specimens that tested positive for anti-HBc, 16 (or 80%) tested positive for HBV DNA. The average viral load was 3500 copies per millilitre. Out of the samples that tested positive for anti-HBc, 50% had anti-HBs Ag, 25% had anti-HBe Ag, and 25% had anti-HBe. Except for four out of sixteen individuals who tested positive for HBV-DNA, Our research has shown, through the results of the ELISA test, that the results of the surface antigen (HBs Ag) screening test are inaccurate. This is due to several reasons, including that the detection of the surface antigen (HBs Ag) may have been conducted during the window period, which is the period when the surface antigen disappears during the examination, and all of the liver function tests came back within normal limits. The average levels of (ALT) in ''HBV-PCR'' positive participants were 14 IU/l, whereas the levels of (AST) were 23.7 IU/l.