Adult Acquired HBV Query

[Worriedcantsleep]

Hi all,

Are there any members who acquired chronic HBV as an adult?

Does this mean you get acute first and then never clear it or is it different to acute from the outset with slower onset and less obvious markers?

I would also like to know if ALT remained normal throughout the first few years post exposure or if it behaved the way it appears to in acute HBV initially (ie >2xUpper Limit of Normal and then settling but not clearing over time?

[stef2011]

it is so rare not to clear as an adult that there are not even enough subjects for a study.even percentages are supposed, hbv is chronic only at birth or very very young babies before there is an immune system

[Kazfiz]

At what age does immune system start to develop and fight hbv out of curiosity? In children

[Jatashankar]

Yes i m one of those unlucky rare persons. At age 24 i discovered it and found my hbcigm to be weekly positive. Hbv DNA 18000. After 1 month dna was 2500iu.

[Worriedcantsleep]

How soon after your exposure did your markers appear?

Was your ALT high initially?

[stef2011]

you can say you did not get it as a baby only if hbsag was negative at birth and very young, otherwise you got it as we all did and we all found out by chance testing as adults

[jamesdc]

I contracted Hep B as an adult in my 40s. I’m gay so I assume it was through sex. My doctor had never suggested getting vaccinated which was very unfortunate. I had mononucleosis at the time and my immune system couldn’t beat the Hep B.  My doctor was more concerned about the mono than the Hep. My ALT was very high as were all my liver levels but within 6-8 months on entecavir all my my liver tests were  normal but I’ve never been able to clear the S antigen. (It took years until I was finally able to get the quantitative test in the USA.) It’s usually in the 2700 range. Fibroscan shows no sign of cirrhosis. No fatty liver on the 6 month ultrasounds. It’s been 15 years. Recently switched to Vemlidy and I take 10,000 D3 daily as well as K2.  My biggest fear is liver cancer but if I can avoid that and just have to take a Vemlidy pill daily, I’ll consider myself lucky.