Hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis in HBsAg serological-negative patients

摘要

Objective The main objective of this study is to report the clinical and pathological characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated glomerulonephritis (HBV-GN) in serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative patients in China. HBV-GN is caused by the HBV's attack on the kidney tissues, but definitive diagnostic criteria are still lacking. The diagnostic criteria used in China require HBsAg positivity in the serum, but research on occult HBV infection has shown that HBV infection is also found in serum HBsAg-negative patients. Clinical and pathological characterization of HBV-GN in serum HBsAg-negative patients is required.