The prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV infections in patients with cataract in Turkey

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cause common infections all around the world. The aim of this study is to determine the HBV, HCV, and HIV prevalence in cataract patients. Material and methods: This was a retrospective study and was carried out in the ophthalmology clinic of Adana Numune Research and Training Hospital (Adana, Turkey). One hundred and forty patients undergoing cataract surgery were included to the study. The clinical findings were extracted from the medical records of the patients. The serological analyzing was done by one step immunoassay-based rapid diagnostic card tests for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HCV, and anti-HIV antibodies. HBV and HCV confirmations were done by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test)-based serological tests. Results: Of the 1040 patients included in the study, 462 (44.4%) were females and 578 (55.6%) were males. The mean age of the patients was 64.8 ± 13.7 years. HBsAg was positive in 39 (3.8%) patients and Anti-HCV was positive in 14 (1.3%) patients. None of the patients had HIV. Conclusion: HBV is the most common infection among cataract patients and it is very important to apply infection prevention methods.