A Cross Section Study to Determine the Prevalence of Antibodies against HIV Infection among Hepatitis B and C Infected Individuals

Co-infection of HIV or HCV among HBsAg positive delivering mothers and its associated factors in governmental hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Blood borne viral infections such as Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cause substantial mortality and morbidity worldwide. Viral hepatitis during pregnancy is closely related to high risks of maternal and neonatal complications. In Ethiopia, only a little information is available on co-infection of HCV or HIV among Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAg) positive pregnant mothers. Thus, the study aimed to determine HIV or HCV co-infection and associated risk factors among HBsAg positive delivering mothers.

METHOD

A health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in five governmental hospitals in Addis Ababa among 265 HBsAg positive delivering mothers in the year 2019 and 2020. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Structured questionnaires and laboratory test results were used to collect the data. SPSS version 20 software was used to enter and analyze the data. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of HIV or HCV co-infections.

RESULTS

Of the HBsAg positive delivering mothers, 9 (3.4%) and 3 (1.1%) were co-infected with HIV and HCV, respectively. None of them were with triplex infection. All of the socio-demographic characteristics were not significantly associated with both HIV and HCV co-infections. Mothers who had a history of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were 9.3 times more likely to have HBV-HIV co-infection (AOR = 9.3; 95% CI: 1.84-47.1). Mothers who had multiple sexual partners were 5.96 times more likely to have HIV co-infection (AOR = 5.96; 95% CI: 1.074-33.104). The odds of having HBV-HIV co-infection were 5.5 times higher among mothers who had a history of sharing shavers, razors, and earrings (AOR = 5.5;95% CI: 1.014-29.69). HCV co-infection was not significantly associated with any of the potential risk factors.

CONCLUSION

This dual infection rate of HBsAg positive delivering mother with HIV or HCV indicates that a substantial number of infants born in Ethiopia are at high risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HBV, HIV, and HCV. Thus, all pregnant mothers need to be screened for HBV, HCV, and HIV during antenatal care, and also need implementation of prevention mechanisms of MTCT of these viral infections.

Dried blood spot sampling as an alternative for the improvement of hepatitis B and C diagnosis in key populations

BACKGROUND

To achieve the elimination of hepatitis B and C, there is an urgent need to develop alternative strategies to increase the access of diagnosis, particularly among key populations such as people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), individuals with coagulopathies and chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

AIM

To evaluate the use of dried blood spot (DBS) in the detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers.

METHODS

A total of 430 individuals comprised of people living with HIV, coagulopathies and CKD provided paired serum and DBS samples. HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HCV were tested in those samples using a commercial electrochemiluminescence. Demographic and selected behavioral variables were evaluated to assess possible association with HBV and HCV positivity.

RESULTS

Using DBS, HBsAg prevalence varied from 3.9% to 22.1%, anti-HBc rates varied from 25.5% to 45.6% and anti-HCV positivity ranged from 15.9% to 41.2% in key populations. Specificities of HBV and HCV tests using DBS varied from 88.9% to 100%. The HBsAg assay demonstrated the best performance in CKD and coagulopathy individuals and the anti-HCV test had a sensitivity and specificity of 100% in people living with HIV. Accuracy of HBV and HCV detection in DBS varied from 90.2% to 100%. In the CKD group, HBsAg positivity was associated with infrequent use of condoms, and anti-HBc positivity was associated with sharing nail cutters/razors/toothbrushes. Anti-HCV reactivity was positively associated with a history of transplantation and length of time using hemodialysis in both specimens. In people living with HIV, only the male gender was associated with anti-HBc positivity in serum and DBS.

CONCLUSION

DBS with electrochemiluminescence are useful tools for the diagnosis and prevalence studies of hepatitis B and C among key populations and may increase the opportunity to foster prevention and treatment.

Prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C among diabetes mellitus type 2 individuals

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) patients have higher risk to be infected with parenterally transmitted viruses, like hepatitis B or C virus. This study aims to determine HBV and HCV infection prevalence in DM2 patients from Northeast and Southeast Brazil. A total of 537 DM2 patients were included, 194 (36.12%) males and 343 (63.87%) females, with mean age of 57.13±11.49 years. HBV and HCV markers were determined using serological and molecular analysis, and risk factors were evaluated in a subgroup from Southeast (n = 84). Two HBV acute (HBsAg+/anti-HBc -) and one HBV chronic case (HBsAg+/anti-HBc+) were found. Six individuals (1.1%) were isolated anti-HBc, 37 (6.9%) had HBV infection resolved (anti-HBc+/anti-HBs+), 40 (7.4%) were considered HBV vaccinated (anti-HBc-/anti-HBs+). Thirteen patients (2.42%) had anti-HCV and 7 of them were HCV RNA+. In the subgroup, anti-HBc positivity was associated to age and anti-HCV positivity was associated to age, time of diabetes diagnosis, total bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase at bivariate analysis, but none of them was statistically significant at multivariate analysis. As conclusion, low prevalence of HBV and high prevalence HCV was found in DM2 patients.

The Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Coinfection Among Patients Newly Diagnosed With Chronic Hepatitis B or C in Denmark: A Nationwide Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Early identification of patients with chronic viral hepatitis coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is essential for optimal care. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of HIV coinfection among patients newly diagnosed with chronic viral hepatitis, HIV testing prevalence, and identify factors associated with coinfection.

METHODS

Patients with chronic viral hepatitis newly enrolled in The Danish Database for Hepatitis B and C between 2002 and 2015 were identified. The HIV coinfection prevalence was calculated, and risk factors associated with HIV coinfection were estimated by logistic regression.

RESULTS

In total, 8490 patients were included: 3091 had chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 5305 had chronic hepatitis C (CHC), and 94 had CHB and CHC. The prevalence of HIV coinfection was 4.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.0-4.9) and was higher among CHC and CHB-CHC patients than CHB patients with a prevalence of 5.3% (95% CI, 4.7-5.9), 6.4% (95% CI, 2.4-13.4), and 2.9 (95% CI, 2.3-3.5), respectively (P < .0001). The HIV testing prevalence increased from 65% to 88% between 2002 and 2014 concurrently with a decrease in the HIV coinfection prevalence from 7.8% (95% CI, 5.5-10.7) to 1.6% (95% CI, 0.7-3.2). Age 35-50 years, male sex, and sexual route of viral hepatitis transmission were associated with HIV coinfection with odds ratios of 4.42 (95% CI, 1.40-13.94), 2.21 (95% CI, 1.74-2.81), and 8.81 (95% CI, 6.30-12.33), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of HIV coinfection among patients with newly diagnosed chronic viral hepatitis decreased concurrently with an increase in HIV testing prevalence.

Assessing hepatitis B immunity using dried blood spot samples from HIV+ individuals

This study aims to evaluate the utility of an optimized enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect and quantify antibodies against hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) in dried blood spots (DBSs) within the context of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status. Serum and DBS samples were obtained from 56 HIV+ and 99 HIV- patients and subjected to EIA for the detection of anti-HBs, where sample volume and cut off value were modified for DBS testing. Sensitivities of anti-HBs detection in DBS were 79.8% and 76.8% in HIV- and HIV+ subjects, respectively. Concordant results for anti-HBs in serum and DBS presented high mean CD8 cell counts, HIV viral load and optical density (OD) values of anti-HBs. Anti-HBs titers were significantly higher in serum, whether or not anti-HBs titers were detected in DBS. It was possible to detect anti-HBs in DBS as low as 17.4 and 27.3 IU/mL among HIV+ and HIV- subjects, respectively. In conclusion, DBS can be used to detect and quantify anti-HBs in HIV-infected individuals, which could increase access to diagnosis and vaccination.

Performance of rapid diagnostic tests for detection of Hepatitis B and C markers in HIV infected patients

There is little information describing the influence of HIV infection upon the performance of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for hepatitis B and C virus diagnosis. This study aims to evaluate the performance of RDTs for HBsAg and anti-HCV detection among HIV-infected individuals. A total of 362 HIV infected individuals were recruited from clinics between January 2013 to November 2014 in the southeast and northeast of Brazil. HBsAg and anti-HCV were detected using commercial EIAs and four RDTs: HBV (Vikia HBsAg^® and Wama Imuno-Rapido HBV^®) and HCV (Bioeasy Teste Rápido HCV^® and Wama Imuno-Rapido HCV^®). Reactive HBsAg and anti-HCV serum samples were tested for HBV DNA and HCV RNA. Sensitivity, specificity and kappa statistic were determined. Using EIA, HBsAg and anti-HCV were detected in 14 (3.9%) and 37 (10.2%) serum samples respectively. Using serum only, HBsAg RDTs demonstrated sensitivities and specificities above 92.0% and Kappa values above 89.0%. Anti-HCV RDTs demonstrated sensitivity and specificities above 82.0% and Kappa higher than 89.0%. Using whole blood samples, Vikia HBsAg^® and Wama Imuno-Rapido HCV^® showed sensitivity and specificity above 99.0% with Kappa of 66.4% and 100%, respectively. HIV viral load was higher among discordant results for anti-HCV RDT. RDTs demonstrated good performance in HIV infected individuals showing the usefulness of assays in this population.

Cross-Sectional Study to Determine the Prevalence of Hepatitis B and C Virus Infection in High Risk Groups in the Northeast Region of Brazil

Background: HBV (Hepatitis B Virus) and HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) infections are more prevalent in vulnerable populations than the general population. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of HBV and HCV infection in HIV-positive patients (GI), chronic renal failure (CRF) patients (GII) and coagulation disorder individuals (GIII). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2014 to March 2015. Serum samples were tested for markers of hepatitis B and C by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sociodemographic, epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data and accompanying statistical analyses were performed using Epi Info™ 7. Results: A total of 348 individuals were recruited, i.e., 154 HIV-positive, 143 CRF and 51 coagulopathy patients. Among them, more than 66% were men, and the predominant age group was 26–35 years in GI and 56–65 years in GIII. Most patients had more than 8 years of education (66.2% in GI, 60.6% in GIII and 46.1% in GII), with a family income between 100–400 dollars in more than 48% of patients. The prevalence of the HBsAg marker was 3.9%, 7% and 3.9%, total anti-HBc was 28.6%, 55.9% and 31.4%, and anti-HCV was 1.3%, 12.6% and 47% for GI, GII and GIII, respectively. However, the prevalence of anti-HBs was greater than 70% in all groups. Conclusions: This study shows a high prevalence of HBV and HCV among specific groups compared to the general population. Factors such as age, income, number of sexual partners, sexually transmitted disease burden, blood transfusion history or blood products and blood transfusions before 1994 were associated with a higher prevalence for these infections.

Evaluation of HBsAg and anti-HBc assays in saliva and dried blood spot samples according HIV status

Influence of HIV status in HBV markers detection in saliva and dried blood spots (DBS) was not well established. This study aims to evaluate the performance of optimized commercial immunoassay for identifying HBsAg and anti-HBc in saliva and DBS according HIV status. A sum of 535 individuals grouped as HIV⁺, HBV⁺, HIV/HBV⁺ and HIV/HBV- were recruited where 347 and 188 were included for HBsAg and anti-HBc evaluation, respectively. Serum, DBS collected in Whatman 903 paper and saliva obtained using salivette device were analyzed using EIA. Increased sample volume and ROC curve analysis for cut off determination were used for DBS and saliva testing. HBsAg detection in saliva and DBS exhibited sensitivities of 80.9% and 85.6% and specificities of 86.8% and 96.3%. Sensitivity of anti-HBc in saliva and DBS were 82.4% and 76.9% and specificities in saliva and DBS were 96.9% and 91.7%. Low sensitivities were observed for HBsAg (62%) and anti-HBc (47%) detection in saliva of HIV/HBV+ individuals. OD values were also lower for HBsAg detection in DBS and saliva of HIV/HBV+ individuals compared to their serum samples. Statistical significance was found for sensitivities in HBsAg detection between saliva and DBS demonstrating high sensitivity for DBS specimens. In conclusion, HIV status or antiretroviral treatment appears to interfere in the performance of HBsAg and anti-HBc detection in DBS and saliva samples using the adapted commercial EIA.

Performance of ANTI-HCV testing in dried blood spots and saliva according to HIV status

The use of saliva and dried blood spots (DBS) could increase access to HCV diagnosis for high-risk populations, such as HIV-infected individuals, but the performance of these assays has not been well established in this group. This study aims to evaluate HIV status, particularly TCD4⁺ cell count and viral load, in the performance of anti-HCV testing using DBS and saliva. A total of 961 individuals classified as HCV+, HIV+, or HIV/HCV+, as well as negative controls, donated serum, DBS, and saliva samples for anti-HCV testing using a commercial enzyme immunoassay. Sample volume was modified for DBS and saliva, and an ROC curve was used for cut-off determination in saliva. Anti-HCV sensitivities were greater than 93% using DBS and saliva in the HCV+ group, while they were 83.3% and 95.6% for HCV/HIV+ individuals for DBS and saliva assays, respectively. Specificity varied from 91.7% to 100% using saliva and DBS in HIV monoinfected and control subjects. When only anti-HCV/HCV RNA+ serum samples, that is, true positives, were considered, the sensitivities were 98.3% and 100% for DBS and saliva, respectively, in the HCV+ group and 91.6% and 94.8% for DBS and saliva, respectively, in the HIV/HCV+ group. High absorbance values were observed among those presenting with HCV RNA in serum and low HIV viral load (less than 50 copies/mL). In conclusion, DBS and saliva samples could be used for anti-HCV detection, particularly to identify active HCV cases, but low sensitivity was observed for anti-HCV testing using DBS in the HIV/HCV+ group.