Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40184003›Full record

SynthesisHepatology international2025

Estimates of the global prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection in population under 18 years old: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Yuchen Pan, Zhifang Jia, Yangyu Zhang, Yanhua Wu, Jing Jiang

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Hepatology international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Yuchen PanDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Xinmin Street No. 1163, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China.
Zhifang JiaDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Xinmin Street No. 1, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China.
Yangyu ZhangDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Xinmin Street No. 1163, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China.
Yanhua WuDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Xinmin Street No. 1, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China.
Jing JiangDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Xinmin Street No. 1163, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China. jiangjing19702000@jlu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9714-9255

Funding

the National Natural Science Foundation of China 82373664
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveOccult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) is defined by the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, while HBsAg (Hepatitis B surface antigen) remains undetectable. The infectivity of OBI and its potential ability to contribute to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma has been reported, with infection in children potentially leading to more severe outcomes. However, the global prevalence and disease burden remain unclear, and this study aimed to assess the prevalence of OBI in population under 18 years old.

methodsWe conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Chinese databases for articles evaluating OBI in population under 18 years old. The prevalence of OBI was pooled after quality assessment.

resultsA total of 49 studies was included, allowing a meta-analysis of 1,070,526 HBsAg-negative individuals. Data from 28 and 25 studies were extracted for analysis of the high- and low-risk population, respectively. The overall prevalence of OBI in population ≤ 18 years old was 2.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.9%-3.8%] and 9.7% (95% CI: 4.9%-15.8%) in the low- and high-risk population, respectively. In the subgroup analysis of the high-risk population, the OBI prevalence in the African, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific regions was 21.5% (95% CI: 0.0%-69.9%), 26.8% (95% CI: 13.0%-43.4%), and 4.3% (95% CI: 1.5%-8.2%), respectively. The OBI prevalence was 6.3% (95% CI: 2.7%-11.1%) in children born to mothers infected with HBV, 20.5% (95% CI: 0.0%-66.6%) in population infected with HIV or HCV, and 37.8% (95% CI: 30.8%-45.1%) in population who received blood transfusion. The OBI prevalence was 6.0% (95% CI: 2.4%-11.0%) in participants whose mothers were infected with HBV and vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) and HBIG, 7.1% (95% CI: 0.0%-22.9%) in participants only vaccinated with HepB.

conclusionThe global prevalence of OBI among individuals under 18 years old, particularly in high-risk population, cannot be neglected. Given the stealthy transmission of OBI and its potential for serious clinical outcomes, OBI in population younger than 18 years old should be emphasized as a global health issue.

Indexed as

Hepatitis BHepatitis B virusAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolDNA, ViralFemaleGlobal HealthHepatitis B Surface AntigensHumansPrevalenceDNA, ViralHepatitis B Surface AntigensAdolescentChildrenHBVInfantMeta-analysisOccult hepatitis B virus infectionPrevalence

Identifiers

PMID40184003

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.