Prevalence Of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Positivity Research Articles

Prevalence and viral suppression of hepatitis B virus infection among people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in Sierra Leone

ObjectiveSub-Saharan Africa is one of the regions with the highest burdens of HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV), but data on the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on HBV DNA...

Chronic hepatitis B virus infection increases the risk of upper urinary calculi

BackgroundAlthough hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a recognized risk factor for renal diseases, little is known about HBV infection in individuals with upper urinary calculi (UUC). We investigated the relationship between chronic HBV infection and UUC.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed data from 1399 patients who were discharged from the Department of Urology (2017–2018). The diagnosis of UUC was determined using urinary tract ultrasonography or computed tomography, and HBV infection was evaluated by a positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) test. Data on patients with and without UUC and HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative patients were compared by univariate and multivariate analyses.ResultsData on chronic HBV infection and UUC were available for 1062 patients, including 514 who presented with UUC and 548 who did not. Overall, 5.8% of total patients, 8.0% of UUC patients and 3.8% of non-UUC patients had chronic HBV infection. UUC patients (41/514) had a significantly higher prevalence of HBsAg positivity (OR 2.175; 95% CI 1.267–3.734; P = 0.004) than non-UUC patients (21/548). After stratifying by sex, the relative odds of HBsAg positivity were statistically significant in men (OR 2.156; 95% CI 1.162–4.003; P = 0.015) but not in women (OR 2.947; 95% CI 0.816–10.643; P = 0.099). The incidence of urinary pH > 6 and staghorn stones was significantly higher in HBsAg-positive UUC patients than in HBsAg-negative UUC patients.ConclusionThis is the first study to demonstrate that chronic HBV infection is strongly associated with UUC, at least in men. The urinary pH > 6 and staghorn stones were more common in UUC patients with chronic HBV infection.

Knowledge, attitude and prevalence of hepatitis B virus among healthcare workers: a cross-sectional, hospital-based study in Bamenda Health District, NWR, Cameroon

IntroductionHepatitis B virus (HBV) is a bloodborne virus which can be transmitted via percutaneous and mucocutaneous exposure to infected body fluid. Healthcare workers (HCWs) who are continuously exposed to different...

Changes in the prevalence of HBV infection in pregnant women in Turkey between 1995 and 2015: a 20-year evaluation

ObjectiveTo determine changes in hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevalence across three different time periods in pregnant women.MethodsThis was a retrospective study of pregnant women attending four healthcare centres between January...

Hepatitis B and C seroprevalence among health care workers in a tertiary hospital in Rwanda.

BackgroundHepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) are significant global public health challenges with health care workers (HCWs) at especially high risk of exposure in resource-poor settings. We aimed to measure HBV and HCV prevalence, identify exposure risks and evaluate hepatitis-related knowledge amongst Rwandan tertiary hospital HCWs.MethodsA cross sectional study involving tertiary hospital employees was conducted from October to December 2013. A pre-coded questionnaire was used to collect data on HCWs' socio-demographics, risk factors and knowledge of blood-borne infection prevention. Blood samples were drawn and screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV antibodies.ResultsAmong 378 consenting HCWs, the prevalence of HBsAg positivity was 2.9% (11/378; 95% CI: 1.9 to 4.6%) and anti-HCV positivity 1.3% (5/378; 95% CI: 0.7 to 2.7%). Occupational exposure to blood was reported in 57.1% (216/378). Of the 17 participants (4.5%; 17/378) who reported having received the HBV vaccine, only 3 participants (0.8%) had received the three-dose vaccination course. Only 42 HCWs (42/378; 11.1%) were aware that a HBV vaccine was available. Most HCW (95.2%; 360/378) reported having been tested for HIV in the last 6 months.ConclusionsDespite their high workplace exposure risk, HBV and HCV sero-prevalence rates among HCWs were low. The low HBV vaccination coverage and poor knowledge of preventative measures among HCWs suggest low levels of viral hepatitis awareness despite this high exposure.

Prevalence of hepatitis B infection in women delivering at a community health centre in Dili, Timor-Leste and discussion of programmatic challenges.

Limited data regarding prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in Timor-Leste exist. An observational study of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) results of women delivering at Bairo Pite Clinic in Dili, Timor-Leste was carried out. Of the 781 women included in the study, 80.5% (626/777) of women who had accessed antenatal care had been tested for HBsAg, of whom 2.2% (14/626) were positive. Of the remaining women, 83.2% (129/155) received a test at the time of delivery, of whom 5.4% (7/129) were positive. Overall prevalence of HBsAg positivity was 2.8% (21/755). Further studies are urgently needed to establish the prevalence of HBV infection in Timor-Leste, particularly in pregnant women. Findings from this study suggest that routine HBV immunisation of newborns should be instituted promptly.

Age specific prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C among pregnant women in the northwestern region of Turkey

Sir: Hepatitis B (HBV) and C virus (HCV) infections are major public health problems around the globe and an estimated 170 to 400 million people are infected [1, 2]. Preventive measures like screening of all blood and blood components routinely for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) and use of disposable syringes resulted in a decrease in the incidence of parenteral transmission [3]; however, vertical transmission of these infections is still an important issue [4]. HBV seroprevalence among pregnant women worldwide is approximately 5 % (range 0.6 % to >20 %) [5]. On the contrary, the seroprevalence of HCVamong pregnant women worldwide is between 1 % and 8 % [6]. Despite the decreasing prevalence of HBsAg positivity in Turkey [4], it is still among the countries with moderate endemicity for HBV infection [3]. We aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of HBV and HCV infections among pregnant women in the northwestern region of Turkey and retrospectively analyzed the data of serological screening during prenatal care between January 2007 and December 2012. Serology was performed by microparticle enzyme immunoassay. SPSS 17® software was used to analyze the data. Continuous variables were described as mean (SD) and categorical data were expressed in n (percent). Statistically significant differences were defined as p <0.05. A total of 22,432 pregnant women were screened for HBsAg, antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) and anti-HCV. Population characteristics are presented in Table 1. The mean age of the study population was 27.5± 8.2 years. Ageand year-specific prevalences of HBsAg, antiHBs and anti-HCVare summarized in Table 2. The prevalence of HBsAg among all pregnant women included in the study was 2 %, and it ranged between 2.1 % in 2007 and 1.7 % in 2012. The highest prevalence was seen in the 41–45-year age group (3.8 %) and the lowest in the 16–24-year age group (1.2 %). The age-specific anti-HBs prevalence ranged from 48.6 % among pregnant women of 16–24 years old to 29.5 % among those that were 41–45 years old. The general prevalence of anti-HCV among pregnant women in our study was 0.09 %. The highest anti-HCV prevalence was seen in the 41– 45-year age group (0.54 %) and the lowest in the 16–24-year age group (0.05 %), similar to the prevalence of HBsAg. HBV carrier status among pregnant patients was lower in the more recent years falling to the range of low endemicity areas (<2 %). Anti-HCV prevalence within the 5-year time period was 0.09 % which was also similar to some of the previous reports from our country about incidence of HCV in pregnant women (0.1 %) [4]. There is a high probability of developing chronic infection if the HBV is acquired by the vertical route [7], and it is important to prevent vertical transmission. Mother-to-child transmission can be prevented by administering immunoprophylaxis to the baby after delivery. In Turkey, hepatitis B vaccine is administered to all infants at birth and at 1 and 6 months of age and infants born to HBsAgpositive mothers are given appropriate immunization and prophylaxis. While inadequate screening of blood and blood products and parenteral exposure continue to be major causes S. Simavli (*) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pamukkale University School of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey e-mail: serapsimavli@yahoo.com

Targeted case finding for hepatitis B using dry blood spot testing in the British–Chinese and South Asian populations of the North‐East of England

Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a frequent cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Targeted HBV screening is recommended by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention for subjects born in countries with >2% HBV prevalence. However, there are no UK guidelines. Here, we applied the (CDC) recommendations to the British-Chinese and British-South Asian community of North-East (NE) England. British-Chinese and South Asian subjects were invited to attend for HBV education and screening sessions held in community centres. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core total antibody (HBcAb) were tested with dry blood spot tests. South Asians were also tested for hepatitis C antibody (HCVAb). A total of 1126 subjects (606 Chinese and 520 South Asian) were screened. Sixty-two (5.5%) were HBsAg positive. Ten of these reported a previous diagnosis of HBV. The prevalence of HBsAg positivity was 4.6% when previously diagnosed individuals were excluded. The HBsAg prevalence was significantly higher in the Chinese subjects compared with South Asians (8.7% VS. 1.7% P < 0.001). In Chinese subjects, HBsAg positivity was highest in subjects born in Vietnam (17.4%), followed by China (11%), Hong Kong (7.8%) and the UK (6.7%). Subjects from Pakistan had the highest HBsAg and HCV Ab prevalence in the South Asians (3.1% and 1.8%, respectively). Ten percentage of HBsAg positive patients who had follow-up assessment had active disease requiring antiviral treatment. Undiagnosed HBV infection was above the 2% threshold for screening suggested by the CDC in the British-Chinese and Pakistani community of NE England, which provides evidence for a UK HBV-targeted screening programme.

Prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen seropositivity among HIV-infected and non-infected individuals in Nnewi, Nigeria

Background:Co-infection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) is common as both viruses share common routes of transmission. HIV significantly affects the natural history of HBV, hence the need to determine the prevalence of co-infection.Materials and Methods:This was a retrospective study between 2005 and 2009, in which is a total of 2018 subjects who reported at our University Teaching Hospital blood bank and human immunodeficiency virus clinic were studied. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was tested for using a one step lateral flow rapid chromatographic immunoassay (Acumen labs and diagnostic centre, Bangalore, India) and HIV 1/2 was tested using two kits, Determine (made by Abbot, Japan for Inverness Medical, Japan).Results:A total of 2018 subjects were studied out of which 1176 were HIV positive (964 males and 212 females) and 842 (334 males and 508 females) were negative. The prevalence of HBsAg positivity in the study population was 5.9%. It was 6.3% and 5.6% in the HIV-infected and un-infected population, respectively. Although the prevalence was higher in those who are HIV infected, the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.52). Males who were HIV positive were found to be more likely to have co-infection than females (8.7% vs. 4.2%, P=0.02, OR=1.917).Conclusion:This study showed that in south-eastern Nigeria, infection with HBV is relatively common in both HIV-infected and un-infected individuals. Routine screening for HBV should be done for all HIV positive individuals.

Hepatitis B surface antigen confirmatory testing for diagnosis of hepatitis b virus infection in Taiwan

This study aimed to examine the application of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) confirmatory testing when diagnosing hepatitis B infection among young persons in Taiwan with a low prevalence rate of hepatitis B infection. HBsAg status, the presence of antibodies against HBsAg (anti-HBs), and the presence of antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were compared among 403 graduate students (mean age 22.8 ± 0.7 years) and 1,745 undergraduate students (18.6 ± 1.0 years) from one university, and 367 adult subjects (41.1 ± 15.8 years) in 2008. Any HBsAg-positive subjects were tested with an HBsAg confirmatory test. Chi-square tests for trend and predictive values of positivity (PVP) when using HBsAg-positive only for determining confirmed cases of hepatitis B infection were compared across the three cohorts. The prevalence of HBsAg positivity among subjects decreased from 16.3% in the adults to 5.2% in the graduate students and then to 2.8% for the undergraduate students (P = 0.0007). The PVP of HBsAg testing when determining cases of hepatitis B decreased from 0.97 for the adults to 0.81 for the graduate students and then to 0.56 for the undergraduate students (P < 0.0001). Thus, a significant decrease in the true-positive rate of HBsAg among the students born after the introduction of hepatitis B vaccination was observed only when HBsAg testing was applied. Additional neutralization tests may therefore become mandatory for persons with a positive HBsAg test result who were born after the commencement of the universal neonatal hepatitis B vaccination program in Taiwan.

Horizontal Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus in Children

Horizontal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is responsible for about half of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers in Taiwan. To investigate the routes and risk factors of horizontal HBV transmission, 131 HBsAg carrier children of HBsAg seronegative mothers were compared with 98 age-matched children seronegative for all hepatitis B markers. Possible factors influencing transmission of HBV, including family size, age at attending kindergarten, frequency of intramuscular injection during infancy and at the toddler stage, contact with HBsAg carriers, and HBV status of parents, siblings and caretakers were studied by questionnaire survey. Intramuscular injection frequency during infancy and at the toddler stage and prevalence of HBsAg positivity among siblings were significantly higher in carrier children than in the control group. Other factors studied were not different in these two groups. The results indicated that unsterilized, multiple intramuscular injections and intrafamilial spread among siblings might be the major routes of horizontal HBV transmission in children in Taiwan.

Horizontal Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus in Children

SummaryHorizontal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is responsible for about half of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers in Taiwan. To investigate the routes and risk factors of horizontal HBV transmission, 131 HBsAg carrier children of HBsAg seronegative mothers were compared with 98 age‐matched children seronegative for all hepatitis B markers. Possible factors influencing transmission of HBV, including family size, age at attending kindergarten, frequency of intramuscular injection during infancy and at the toddler stage, contact with HBsAg carriers, and HBV status of parents, siblings and caretakers were studied by questionnaire survey. Intramuscular injection frequency during infancy and at the toddler stage and prevalence of HBsAg positivity among siblings were significantly higher in carrier children than in the control group. Other factors studied were not different in these two groups. The results indicated that unsterilized, multiple intramuscular injections and intrafamilial spread among siblings might be the major routes of horizontal HBV transmission in children in Taiwan.

Screening for hepatitis B among pregnant patients in a rural population.

From February 1988 to April 1990, we collected blood for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) from all women coming to the Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock for prenatal care. These patients were from rural western Texas and eastern New Mexico. They were also screened for hepatitis B risk factors, as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control. We reviewed the prenatal records of all HBsAg-positive women. Six of 4452 women (0.13%) had a positive HBsAg test. Four of the six women had identifiable risk factors and two did not; two were non-Hispanic caucasian (Anglo), two were Hispanic, and two were black. Anglos comprised 49.5% of the rural population, Hispanics 34.9%, blacks 12.8%, and Asians 2.8%. No Asian women were positive for HBsAg. The prevalence of HBsAg positivity was lower in this rural population than in previously reported urban populations. While the prevalence in the studied blacks and Hispanics was similar to that in previous reports, the prevalence in the rural Anglos was lower.

Hepatitis B virus, aflatoxins, and hepatocellular carcinoma in Southern Guangxi, China

We examined the roles of the hepatitis B virus and aflatoxin B1 in the development of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) in a cohort of 7917 men aged 25 to 64 yr old in southern Guangxi, China, where the incidence of PHC is among the highest in the world. After accumulating 30,188 man-yr of observation, 149 deaths were observed, 76 (51%) of which were due to PHC. Ninety-one% (69 of 76) of PHC deaths were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive at enrollment into the study in contrast to 23% of all members of the cohort (RR = 38.6). Three of the four patients who died of liver cirrhosis also were HBsAg positive at enrollment. There was no association between HBsAg positivity state and other causes of death. Within the cohort, there was a 3.5-fold difference in PHC mortality by place of residence. When estimated aflatoxin B1 levels in the subpopulations were plotted against the corresponding mortality rates of PHC, a positive and almost perfectly linear relationship was observed. On the other hand, no significant association was observed when the prevalence of HBsAg positivity in the subpopulations was compared with their corresponding rates of PHC mortality.