Characteristics of hepatitis B infection in a sample of omani patients

Prevalence of Hepatitis B Infection Among Pregnant Women in Oman

Objective

The primary objective of our study was to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B infection among pregnant women in Oman. The secondary objectives were to test for other hepatitis B virus (HBV) serological markers and to determine hepatitis B viral load.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study conducted from June 2019 to December 2020, we randomly selected 2210 Omani women who attended antenatal clinics across the country. Pregnant women were tested for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) using a commercial enzyme immunoassay; those who tested positive were further analyzed for other HBV serological markers: HBV core total antibody (anti-HBc), HBV core antibody IgM (immunoglobulin M) (anti-HBc IgM), hepatitis B virus e antigen (HBeAg) and hepatitis B virus e antibody (anti-HBe). They were also tested for hepatitis B viral load.

Results

This study included 2210 women with a mean age of 39 years. Ninety-five percent of the women who were invited to participate consented and were included in the study. Thirty-three (1.49%) tested positive for HBsAg. All participants tested negative for HBeAg and anti-HBc IgM and positive for anti-HBc and anti-HBe, and 30 (90.9%) women had their hepatitis B viral load measured. Three (10.0%) had undetectable viral loads, 23 (76.7%) had low viral loads of < 2000 (IU/ml), 2 had moderate viral loads between 2000 and 200,000 (IU/ml) and one had a high viral load of 486,000 (IU/ml).

Conclusion

Our study shows that the HBV prevalence in pregnant women is 1.49%, which is lower than what was reported earlier. Nevertheless, antenatal screening is still warranted, as there are vital interventions for the newborn and the mother.

Risk Factors for Hepatitis B Virus Transmission in Oman

Objectives

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major public health problem worldwide. The prevalence of HBV is dependent on the modes of transmission. Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection can progress to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Oman is regarded as an intermediate endemic region and has had a neonatal vaccine against HBV since 1990. However, little research has been conducted regarding risk factors for HBV transmission. Our study aimed to identify the prevalence of major risk factors for acquiring HBV in Oman.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective chart review of all adult Omani patients diagnosed with CHB at two tertiary hospitals in Oman, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and Armed Forces Hospital, between February 2009 and July 2013. The prevalence of major risk factors was identified by interviewing CHB patients using a standard questionnaire during their follow-up visits to the hepatology clinic at both hospitals. The risk factor frequency was stratified by age, gender, and educational level.

Results

A total of 274 patients were interviewed; 52.2% of the participants were males. The median age for men was 35.9 years and 35.1 years for women, with 75.5% aged 20–39 years old. The antenatal screening was the most common means of identifying HBV infection in females, and pre-blood donation screening was the most common in males. Intra-familial contact with HBV infected persons and behavioral risks such as body piercing (females) and barber shaving (males) were more common than nosocomial risk factors. Knowledge about HBV infection was scarce among our participants. More than half of the participants had a positive family history of HBV infection. There was a significant association between HBV infection and age groups, and educational levels (p < 0.050 and p < 0.001, respectively). Among those who were infected due to intra-familial contact or behavioral risk, there was a significant difference between the two sexes (p < 0.020) and between the three age groups (< 23, 23–28, >28) of HBV positive mothers (33.3%, 14.3%, and 6.6%, respectively; p < 0.050). There was also a statistically significant difference among different educational levels (p < 0.050).

Conclusions

Direct contact of infected individuals within a family and exposure to high-risk behaviors such as piercing and barber shaving are the main reported risk factors for HBV infection in Omani patients. Reducing the vertical and horizontal transmission of HBV in Oman could be improved by implementing routine antenatal screening of pregnant women and a greater focus on contact screening, respectively.

Estimating the proportion of people with chronic hepatitis B virus infection eligible for hepatitis B antiviral treatment worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

In 2016, of the estimated 257 million people living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection worldwide, only a small proportion was diagnosed and treated. The insufficiency of information on the proportion of people infected with HBV who are eligible for treatment limits the interpretation of global treatment coverage. We aimed to estimate the proportion of people with chronic HBV infection who were eligible for antiviral treatment worldwide, based on the WHO 2015 guidelines.

METHODS

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane databases from Jan 1, 2007, to Jan 31, 2018, for studies describing HBsAg-positive people in the population or health-care facilities. We extracted information from published studies using a standardised form to estimate the frequency of cirrhosis, abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT), HBV DNA exceeding 2000 IU/mL or 20 000 IU/mL, presence of HBeAg, and eligibility for treatment as per WHO and other guidelines as reported in the studies. We pooled proportions through meta-analysis with random effects. The study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42020132345.

FINDINGS

Of the 13 497 studies, 162 were eligible and included in our analysis. These studies included 145 789 participants. The pooled estimate of the proportion of cirrhosis was 9% (95% CI 8-10), ranging from 6% (4-8) in community settings to 10% (9-11) in clinic settings. Examining the proportion of participants who had characteristics used to determine eligibility in the WHO guidelines, 1750 (10·1%) of 17 394 had HBV DNA exceeding 20 000 IU/mL, and 20 425 (30·8%) of 66 235 had ALT above the upper limit of normal. 32 studies reported eligibility for treatment according to WHO or any other guidelines, with a pooled estimate of eligibility at 19% (95% CI 18-20), ranging from 12% (6-18) for studies in community settings to 25% (19-30) in clinic settings.

INTERPRETATION

Many studies described people with HBV infection, but few reported information in a way that allowed assessment of eligibility for treatment. Although about one in ten of the 257 million people with HBV infection (26 million) might be in urgent need of treatment because of cirrhosis, a larger proportion (12-25%) is eligible for treatment in accordance with different guidelines. Future studies describing people with HBV infection should report on treatment eligibility, according to broadly agreed definitions.

FUNDING

WHO and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Oman: An analysis of 284 cases

Objectives

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver tumour worldwide and is increasing in incidence. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of HCC among Omani patients, along with its major risk factors, outcomes and the role of surveillance.

Methods

This retrospective case-series study was conducted between January 2008 and December 2015 at the three main tertiary care hospitals in Oman. All adult Omani patients diagnosed with HCC and visited these hospitals during the study period were included. Relevant data were collected from the patients’ electronic medical records.

Results

A total of 284 HCC patients were included in the analysis. The mean age was 61.02 ± 11.41 years and 67.6% were male. The majority had liver cirrhosis (79.9%), with the most common aetiologies being chronic hepatitis C (46.5%) and B (43.2%). Only 13.7% of cases were detected by the HCC surveillance programme. Approximately half of the patients (48.5%) had a single liver lesion and 31.9% had a liver tumour of >5 cm in size. Approximately half (49.2%) had alpha-fetoprotein levels of ≥200 ng/mL. The majority (72.5%) were diagnosed using multiphase computed tomography alone. Less than half of the patients (48.9%) were offered one or more HCC treatment modalities.

Conclusion

The majority of Omani HCC patients were male and had cirrhosis due to viral hepatitis. In addition, few patients were identified by the national surveillance programme and presented with advanced disease precluding therapeutic or even palliative treatment.

The demographic and paraclinical characteristics of patients with hepatitis B presenting to Shahid Mohammadi Hospital and Clinic and other private clinics in Bandar Abbas, Iran

Considering the crucial importance of hepatitis B and its high prevalence in the society, the present study was conducted to examine the demographic and paraclinical characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis B. This descriptive cross-sectional study examined 180 patients with hepatitis B presenting to Shahid Mohammadi Hospital and Clinic and other private clinics in Bandar Abbas, Iran, in 2016–17. The patients were divided into three main groups: chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and healthy carriers. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used to analyze the relationship between the quantitative variables in terms of their normal or nonnormal distribution (P < 0.05). About 13.5% of the patients had cirrhosis, 35.4% were healthy carriers, and 51.12% had chronic hepatitis. The number of male patients in the cirrhosis group and the number of female participants in the healthy carrier group were higher. The difference in gender distribution between the three groups was statistically significant. According to the results of this study, male and married people constitute a high percentage of the population of patients with chronic hepatitis B. The clinical symptoms of chronic hepatitis B often do not occur until the patient's progress to advanced stages and cirrhosis, and most of the population is asymptomatic. Contact with a person suspected to have hepatitis B is one of the major risk factors of this disease.