Abstract
Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are at high risk for contamination with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and for the development of cirrhosis and its complications, particularly after kidney transplantation. Serum levels of HBsAg reflects the transcription of messenger RNAs produced by cccDNA and by the HBV-derived DNA sequences integrated into the host hepatocytes' genome. Therefore,…