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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA
Published on: December 15, 2023
Hepatitis B and C virus infection and the risk of atherosclerosis in a general population
Henry Völzke1, Christian Schwahn, Birger Wolff
1Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Walther Rathenau Street 48, D-17487, Greifswald, Germany. voelzke@uni-greifswald.de
Background:
The development of atherosclerosis has an inflammatory component. Currently it is not clear, whether hepatitis B and C virus infections are associated with the risk of atherosclerosis. The aim of the present analysis was to investigate those relationships in a population sample.
Methods And Results:
The study of health in Pomerania (SHIP) is a cross-sectional study of the adult population in the northeast of Germany. HBs antigen (HBsAg) and IgG antibodies against hepatitis B and C virus (anti-HBs and anti-HCV) were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays. Fifteen subjects (0.4%) were positive for HBsAg, and 21 subjects (0.5%) were positive for anti-HCV. Among the persons who had no history of anti-hepatitis B vaccination, 213 individuals (5.0%) were found to be as positive for anti-HBs. These individuals and those with prevalent anti-HCV antibodies were regarded as cases (n = 233). The control group comprised of 4033 individuals. Multivariable analyses revealed that there was no independent association between anti-HBs and anti-HCV antibody seropositivity and atherosclerotic end-points such as prevalent myocardial infarction, stroke, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), carotid plaques and stenoses.
Conclusion:
There is no association between serological markers for hepatitis B and C virus infection and the risk of atherosclerosis in this population sample.
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