Molecular detection of Hepatitis B DNA and hbx ‎antigen in patients under hemodialysis in ‎Kirkuk-Iraq

Our study was conducted in Kirkuk city between February 10 and December 10, 2022. The ages of 600 patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis ranged from 20-75 years. The study also included 30 healthy control subjects. Blood samples were from each patient in this study for ‎determination of hepatitis B viral load by real-time PCR and detection specific HBx ‎antigen by tests using ELISA technique. The study showed that 8.33% of ‎HD patients have Positive PCR results for hepatitis B virus as compared with only 0% of the control group. The study showed the highest rate of HBV infection ‎among HD patients were in age ≥40 years and most of them were males. The study ‎showed that the rate of HBV infection was increased with increasing of dialysis ‎duration. The highest rate of patients with hepatitis B (42%) had viral load between ‎‎10.000 and 20.000 IU/mL. The study showed that 80% of HBV patients were with ‎HBx antigen and the highest viral load mean was found in patients with hepatitis B ‎with Positive HBx comparing with negative HBx HBV patients. Most of patients with cirrhosis and grade 3 of fibrosis were with positive HBx ‎antigen. The present study revealed that there was positive correlation between ALT ‎level and viral load in patients with chronic hepatitis B.‎