This multi-center study was designed as a trial to explore ,h:: pn! Jknce of silent hepatitis B infection among hepatitis C FJ:i.:r.t" Jnd to determine the prevalent genotype of hepatitis C !rllS ,HC\'I in these patients. The study comprised 45
\ ith posr-hepatitic liver cirrhosis. All patients gave '=':0L,j samples for estimation of liver function tests, ELISA '::slIm:Jtion of serum levels of hepatitis B surface antigen . HBsAg I. anti·Hey antibodies and Hey core antigen. patients ., ith HB,.-g positi·e were excluded off the study. Qualitative de:e..:tlon of HeV RN A and HB V ON A by peR (home-made peRi and Quantitative PCR for estimation of HCY viremia :md Hey genotyping: by REFLP technique were performed. Th.: HCY-Ab was detected in all and HCY-Ag in 42 samples
9;.3'1 ) irrespective of its clinical severity class with a mean yire!11ia leeJ of 792336.7±400074.8; range: 134985-1957632 .. iral copy/mJ as determined by quantitati ve PCR. There was .1 non-significant difference between severity clinical classes as regards the qualitative or quantitative detection of HCV infection. The HBY DNA was detected using qualitative PCR in 20 samples (44.4%); 4 class A, 7 class Band 9 class C samples with a significant increase of the frequency of silent HB in patients with class B (X2=5.446, p