HBV virus infection is an important public health problem because of its huge transmission potential, and severe evolution to cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Aim: Analysis of the epidemiological and laboratory features of chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
Material and methods: The patients with chronic hepatitis B admitted to the "Sf. Parascheva" University Hospital for Infectious Diseases in the interval: January 1st, 2010 - December 31st were analyzed.
Results: Patients age was 18 to 66 years with a prevalence of middle-aged males. Most patients came from urban areas. Alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) levels were elevated, without significant differences between HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative patients, the elevated ALAT levels being associated with the increased prevalence of fibrosis. HBeAg-positive patients had viral loads above the threshold of 2,000/l in 34 cases (89.5%), and below 2,000 IU/l in only 10.5% of cases, and the majority (88%) of HBeAg-negative patients presented high viral load levels. The prevalence of stage F2-F4 liver fibrosis was 63.4% in the HBeAg-negative patients with viremia > 25,000 IU/l compared to 55.2% in the HBeAg-positive patients. The correlation between the level of viral load and fibrosis shows that there are significant differences between viremia and the status of HBeAg-positive or negative patients. Increased viral load was correlated with increasing prevalence of fibrosis, significant in HBeAg-negative patients, and the increasing fibrosis prevalence was correlated with low viral load.
Conclusions: The correlation between viral load and fibrosis shows that there are significant differences between viral load and the status of HBAg-positive or negative patients.