Hepatitis B: Prevalence and occult infection in HIV-infected patients.

INTRODUCTION: HBV and HIV have identical transmission routes. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HBV in HIV patients and to detect the presence of occult HBV infection. METHODS: All samples were tested for serology markers and using qPCR. RESULTS: This study included 232 individuals, out of which 36.6% presented with HBV markers and 11.8% presented with HBsAg or HBV-DNA, including 3 patients that showed OBI. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a high prevalence of HBV among HIV patients. In addition, the results suggest that OBI can occur in patients with serological profiles that are indicative of past infection. Therefore, the application of molecular tests may enable the identification of infections that are not evident solely based on serology.

Hepatitis B: Prevalence and occult infection in HIV-infected patients

Abstract INTRODUCTION: HBV and HIV have identical transmission routes. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HBV in HIV patients and to detect the presence of occult HBV infection. METHODS: All samples were tested for serology markers and using qPCR. RESULTS: This study included 232 individuals, out of which 36.6% presented with HBV markers and 11.8% presented with HBsAg or HBV-DNA, including 3 patients that showed OBI. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a high prevalence of HBV among HIV patients. In addition, the results suggest that OBI can occur in patients with serological profiles that are indicative of past infection. Therefore, the application of molecular tests may enable the identification of infections that are not evident solely based on serology.

Hepatitis C virus seroprevalence and risk factors among patients with HIV infection

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors associated with HCV infection in a group of HIV seropositive patients. We analyzed the medical records of 1,457 patients. All patients were tested for HCV infection by third generation ELISA. Whenever possible, a sample of the positive patients was also tested for HCV by PCR. HCV positive patients were analyzed according to their risk factors for both infections. The prevalence of anti-HCV positive patients was 17.7 percent (258 patients). Eighty-two (82) of these patients were also tested by PCR and 81 were positive for HCV virus (98 percent). One hundred fifty-one (58.5 percent) were intravenous drug users (IDU); 42 (16.3 percent) were sexual partners of HIV patients; 23 (8.9 percent) were homosexual males; 12 (4.7 percent) had received blood transfusion; 61 (17.5 percent) had promiscuous sexual habits; 14 (5.4 percent) denied any risk factor; 12 (4.7 percent) were sexual partners of IDU. Two hundred four patients mentioned only one risk factor. Among them, 28 (10.9 percent) were sexual partners of HIV-positive patients. Although intravenous drug use was the most important risk factor for co-infection, sexual transmission seemed to contribute to the high HCV seroprevalence in this group of patients

Prevalence of hepatitis B and C in the sera of patients with HIV infection in São Paulo, Brazil

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis B and C viruses in a group of HIV infected patients, followed at a single institution since 1996. 1,693 HIV positive patients (1,162 male, 531 female) were tested for HBV infection. Virological markers for HBV included HBsAg and total anti-HBc by ELISA. 1,457 patients (1,009 male, 448 female) were tested for HCV infection. Detection of HCV antibodies was carried out by ELISA. A sample of HCV antibody positive patients was tested for HCV by PCR to confirm infection. Of 1,693 patients tested for HBV, 654 (38.6 per cent) and 96 (5.7 per cent) were anti-HBc and HBsAg positive, respectively. Of 1,457 patients tested for HCV, 258 (17.7 per cent) were anti-HCV positive. 82 of these patients were also tested by PCR and 81 were positive (98 per cent). Of 1,411 patients tested for HBV and HCV 26 (1.8 per cent) were positive for both viruses.