Detection of hepatitis B virus DNA in liver by polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of fulminant hepatitis B

To assess the involvement of GB virus C (GBV-C) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in fulminant hepatitis of unknown etiology, GBV-C RNA and HBV DNA in serum were retrospectively assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in six patients with fulminant hepatitis of unknown etiology (group A) and in three patients with fulminant hepatitis B (group B). Additionally, liver specimens were tested for both GBV-C RNA and HBV DNA in two patients and for only HBV DNA in another patient in group A. GBV-C RNA in serum and liver was not detected in any patient. HBV DNA in serum was detected only in patients in group B, while in liver it was detectable in three patients in group A. These results suggest that GBV-C infection is unlikely to be involved in fulminant hepatitis of unknown etiology and that the detection of HBV DNA in liver by PCR is useful for diagnosis of fulminant hepatitis B that shows no serologic evidence of the current infection.