Hepatitis B virus affects millions of people worldwide and can lead to serious diseases as liver cirrhoses and hepatocellular carcinoma
(HCC).The local prevalence of HBV infection among healthy population has not been well studied. The aim of the present study was
to determine the seroprevalence of HBV and HBV DNA by PCR among apparently healthy blood donors and among patients of a
molecular diagnostic laboratory in Karachi.
Serological test for Hbs-Ag were carried out by ICT (immunochromatography) rapid screening test and further by ONE STEP HBV
COMBO 5 TEST CARD (Chemtrue, USA) as per supplier’s instructions and molecular tests for HBV DNA were performed by nested
PCR.
The prevalence of HBV infection determined by HBs-Ag reactivity and HBV DNA tests by nested PCR in apparently healthy blood
donors of Karachi was found to be 2.39%. Among 124 samples of KIRAN PCR and molecular biology laboratory 45 (36.3%) were
found HBV positive in which forty samples were HBs-Ag positive and 5 were negative. All 45 samples were positive by HBV DNA
test by nested PCR.
Muhammad Hanif, Parveen Zaidi, Laeeq Ahmed, Nazia Ahmed. (2011) PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS AMONG APPARENTLY HEALTHY BLOOD DONORS AND AMONG PATIENTS OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY OF KIRAN HOSPITAL, KARACHI , , Volume 08, Issue 1.
