Risk Factors For Hepatitis B Virus Infection Research Articles

Hepatitis B prevalence and risk factors among adults living with HIV in South Africa: a clinic-based cohort study

BackgroundPeople living with HIV (PLHIV) may have concurrent Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection, and certain antiretroviral therapies are recommended for HBV-HIV co-infected individuals. Routine screening for Hepatitis B virus may influence management of antiretroviral therapy for PLHIV, but risk factors for co-infection have not been well defined. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for HBV infection among PLHIV in South Africa.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective, clinic-based cohort study of adults seeking HIV testing from 2013–2017 in Umlazi township, South Africa. Patients newly diagnosed with HIV were enrolled and subsequently tested for Hepatitis B surface antigen positive (HBsAg +). We used a Poisson linear regression model to assess which factors, pertaining to sociodemographic status, medical history, clinical symptoms, mental health were associated with HBV.ResultsAmong 3,105 PLHIV participants in South Africa, 6% were positive for HBV. Males had a higher HBV prevalence (10.4%) than females (5.2%). Within the HBV-positive group, the mean age was 33.2 years, with 38.3% females and 43.9% having completed high school or higher. About 39.9% reported alcohol use, 24.7% had a smoking history, and 8.3% reported substance use in the past year. Older participants born before 1995, when routine infant HBV vaccination was introduced, were more likely to have HBV. In multivariable analyses, smoking history increased HBV risk in females (aPR = 2.58; 95% CI 1.47–2.52), while alcohol use decreased HBV risk in males (aPR = 0.36; 95% CI 0.19–0.70).ConclusionsIn a South African cohort, roughly one in 16 PLHIV had HBV co-infection, and this rate was higher in males. The most prominent risk factors for HBV infection in PLHIV were alcohol use, higher income, and smoking history, which may help inform targeted treatment and prevention strategies. Creating HBV-specific screening and prevention strategies for PLHIV may be useful for reducing HBV infections.

Determinants of Hepatitis B Viral Infection among Pregnant Women in Greater Monrovia, Liberia

Background: The global prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection is estimated to affect over 2 billion individuals, with a notable proportion ranging from 6% to 25% residing in the Sub-Saharan African region. The prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone has been estimated to be approximately 2%. However, current understanding of the actual risk factors associated with HBV in the Greater Monrovia remains unclear. Consequently, this study aimed to identify the factors associated with hepatitis B viral infection among pregnant women residing in Greater Monrovia, Liberia. Methods: An unmatched case control study of 141 cases of HBV infected pregnant women and 141 controls was conducted. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle activities and medical related risk factors were collected for both groups with a structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate analyses established associations between the HBV infection and risk factors studied. Results: In all, 141 cases of HBV infected pregnant women and 141 controls participated in this study. The mean age of cases was 35.6 years (SD ±9.5) and 36.1 years (SD ±8.4) for controls. Low-income level <100 dollars [aOR 13.0 (4.48-37.82, p<0.001)], employment [aOR 0.04 (0.09-0.18) p<0.001], STI history [aOR 5.19 (1.68-16.02, p=0.004)] and living with a HBV infected person [aOR 35.11 (4.24-58.90), p=0.001] were factors associated with HBV infection among pregnant women in Greater Monrovia. Conclusion: The risk factors of HBV infection among pregnant women in Greater Monrovia were engagement in formal employment, low-income level, history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and residing with an individual infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Control efforts by designated state institutions should include advocacy and awareness creation on HBV status identification, safe sex, and vaccination of uninfected individuals.

High prevalence of hepatitis B and HIV among women survivors of sexual violence in South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Limited data are available on the prevalence rates of hepatitis B and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) among women survivors of sexual violence (WSSV) in South Kivu province, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where armed conflicts persist. Here, we aimed to assess the prevalence of these two infections in this vulnerable local population. A total of 1002 WSSV, aged from 18 to 70 years old were enrolled from May 2018 to May 2020 at three healthcare facilities (Panzi, Mulamba and Bulenga hospitals), which are called "The One-Stop Centre Care Model" for the management of sexual violence in South Kivu. Blood samples were collected and tested for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antigens and antibodies using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) methods. Subsequently, viral load quantification for HBV and HIV were performed using the GeneXpert. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess factors associated with HIV-positive and HBV-positive status. For HBV, overall prevalence was 8.9% (95% CI; 7.2-10.8%), 32.1% (95% CI; 29.3-35.0%), and 14.5% (95% CI; 12.3-16.8%) for HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HBs antibodies, respectively. Among the 89 HBsAg-positive patients, 17 (19.1%) were HBeAg-positive. The median age of individuals with a positive HBsAg test was higher than those with a negative test (median: 40 years (IQR 30-52) compared to 36 years (IQR 24-48)). Risk factors for HBV infection were age (≥35 years) (AOR = 1.83 [1.02-3.32]; p = 0.041), having no schooling (AOR = 4.14 [1.35-12.62]; p = 0.012) or only primary school-level (AOR = 4.88 [1.61-14.75]; p = 0.005), and multiple aggressors (AOR = 1.76 [1.09-2.84], p = 0.019). The prevalence of HIV was 4.3% [95% CI: 3.1-5.7%]. HIV/HBV co-infection occurred only in 5 individuals (0.5%). The HBV viral load was detectable (> 1 log10 UI/mL) in 61.8% of HBsAg-positive subjects and 64.8% HIV-positive subjects had a high viral load (≥ 3 log10 copies/mL). This study revealed a high prevalence of HBV and HIV infections among WSSV in South Kivu. The results generated highlight the urgent need for systematic screening of HBV and HIV by integrating fourth-generation ELISA tests in HIV and HBV control programs.

Hepatitis B virus infection among illegal drug users in Enugu State, Nigeria: prevalence, immune status, and related risk factors

IntroductionHepatitis B virus infection poses a global health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income African countries. Illicit drug use exacerbates the problem, with drug users having a higher HBV infection risk and maintaining a quiet transmission pool. This study aimed to determine HBV infection prevalence, immune status, and risk factors among illegal drug users in Enugu State, Nigeria.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Enugu State, using privileged access interviewer methods to enroll drug users. Pre-tested structured questionnaires were administered after informed consent was obtained. Blood samples were tested for HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, and HBcAb using immunochromatographic rapid test kits. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.ResultsOne hundred drug users were recruited into the study. Overall, 7% of the drug users had HBV infection. 61% were found to be susceptible to HBV infection, 15% showed serological evidence of immunity from HBV vaccination and 1% developed natural immunity from HBV exposure. Significant risk factors for HBV infection were age less than 20 years, young age (≤ 20 years) at drug initiation, being single, injecting drugs more than or equal to 20 times per month and injecting with used syringes.ConclusionThis study shows high intermediate endemicity of HBV infection among drug users, low vaccination uptake, and high susceptibility to HBV infection. This calls for the urgent inclusion of drug users in national HBV vaccination campaigns and the adoption of the World Health Organization’s recommendations on the prevention of viral hepatitis among people who inject drugs.

A case-control study of risk factors for incident hepatitis B virus infection in South African blood donors

ObjectivesHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global health problem. Risk factors for HBV infection are usually assessed in prevalent rather than incident infections. To identify demographic and behavioral risks associated with incident HBV among South African blood donors. MethodsA case-control study was performed between November 2014 and January 2018. Cases were blood donors testing positive for HBV DNA with or without hepatitis B surface antigen but negative for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen. Participants completed an audio computer-assisted structured interview on exposures during the previous 6 months. Sex-specific multivariable logistic regression yielded independent associations between risks and HBV infection. Results56 females and 37 males with incident HBV were compared to 438 female and 439 male controls, respectively. For females, risk factors were accepting money or goods for sex, using agents to prepare one's anus prior to anal sex, penetrating injury, non-Black race, and lower educational status. Men reporting homosexual or bisexual orientation or sex with other men, previous injury, referral for HBV testing, or lack of medical insurance were at increased risk. For both sexes, having more than two male sexual partners increased risk. ConclusionsSexual behaviors predominated over parenteral exposures as risks for incident HBV in both female and male blood donors.

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among general population of Armenia in 2021 and factors associated with it: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThis study sought to determine the prevalence and associated factors of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection ever in life and chronic HBV infection in Armenia.DesignA population-based cross-sectional seroprevalence study combined...

Identification of associated risk factors for serological distribution of hepatitis B virus via machine learning models

BackgroundThe provincial-level sero-survey was launched to learn the updated seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the general population aged 1–69 years in Chongqing and to assess the risk factors for HBV infection to effectively screen persons with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).MethodsA total of 1828 individuals aged 1–69 years were investigated, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (HBsAb), and antibody to B core antigen (HBcAb) were detected. Logistic regression and three machine learning (ML) algorithms, including random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and stochastic gradient boosting (SGB), were developed for analysis.ResultsThe HBsAg prevalence of the total population was 3.83%, and among persons aged 1–14 years and 15–69 years, it was 0.24% and 4.89%, respectively. A large figure of 95.18% (770/809) of adults was unaware of their occult HBV infection. Age, region, and immunization history were found to be statistically associated with HBcAb prevalence with a logistic regression model. The prediction accuracies were 0.717, 0.727, and 0.725 for the proposed RF, SVM, and SGB models, respectively.ConclusionsThe logistic regression integrated with ML models could helpfully screen the risk factors for HBV infection and identify high-risk populations with CHB.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B virus and Associated factors among adult Chronic liver disease patients at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

Background: Hepatitis B virus infection is a global health problem with the highest prevalence in Asia and Sub-Saharan countries. It causes both acute and chronic hepatitis, with complications including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hence, this study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus and associated factors among chronic liver disease patients at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, from May to September 2021. Data was collected by face-to-face interview using structured questionnaire from the patients’ medical record, and a laboratory test was done on a blood sample for HBsAg and hepatitis C virus antibody. Data was entered using Epi-data 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Descriptive analysis was done for the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were employed, and the odds ratio using a confidence interval of 95% was retrieved. P-value <0.05 was taken as significant. Results: A total of 227 chronic liver disease patients were enrolled. The mean age of participants was 44.04 (±12.4). Most (84.6%) of them were males, and females account 15.4%. The prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection was 34.8% (95% CI፡ 28.8-41) among chronic liver disease patients. An increased proportion of hepatitis B virus were detected in males (AOR=4.0;95% CI=1.21,13.23). Contact to jaundiced patients (P=0.01), having multiple sexual partners (P=0.001), and hepatitis C virus coinfection (P=0.008) were significantly associated with Hepatitis B virus infection among Chronic liver disease patients. Conclusions: The prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among Chronic liver disease patients at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital was high. Male gender, having multiple sexual partners, contact to jaundiced patients, and hepatitis C virus co-infection were predominant factors for hepatitis B virus infection among chronic liver disease patients. Therefore, Proper health education and media campaign should be conducted with the general population to inform them about the risk factors of HBV infection and its routes of transmission. Further multicenter studies of high-risk behavior could also be encouraged

Binary Logistic Regression Analysis on Risk Factors Associated with Hepatitis B Disease in Gusau Local Government Zamfara State, Nigeria

This study focused on creating a binary logistic regression model to evaluate the risk factors for hepatitis B viral disease in the Gusau Local Government of Zamfara State, Nigeria. Secondary data was utilised, and the model identified independent predictors of hepatitis-b disease based on variables with a P-value < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval for the odds ratio not less than 1. The results indicated that marital status, history of blood transfusion, multiple sex partners, and alcohol consumption were statistically associated with hepatitis-B virus infection, while gender and having an infected family member were not. Model selection criteria, including Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), favoured a model with only significant predictors, revealing the existence of Hepatitis-B virus infection risk factors in patients from Gusau Local Government of Zamfara State.

The prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV among hemodialysis patients in a tertiary care hospital in Mashhad, Iran.

Hepatitis and acquired immunodeficiency are major health concerns in high-risk patients with renal failure undergoing hemodialysis. This might be due to the number of blood transfusions, age, and dialysis duration. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV in hemodialysis patients to determine the effectiveness of preventive measures already in place and the possible correlation between various risk factors and viral infection in the Hemodialysis Center in Mashhad, Iran. Sixty-five patients were included in a retrospective cross-sectional study. The demographic information was collected. Hepatitis-B surface antigens, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV antibodies were screened using ELISA. Out of 65 patients, 34 (52.3%) were male, and 31 (47.7%) were female. Mean duration of dialysis was 30.68 ± 26.39 months, and the mean age was 64.95 ± 14.09 years. We found 9 (13.8%) patients that were HBV positive (HbsAg-positive), and 3 (4.6%) patients were HCV positive. Sex and the number of blood transfusions were found to be risk factors for HBV infection and had statistical significance (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). No statistical significance was found between HBV- and HCV- positivity and the mean age of patients (p = 0.84 and p = 0.76, respectively). All patients were HIV-negative. Prevalence of HBV was high and significant. More preventive measures need to be developed, and further studies should be conducted to examine the effectiveness of these measures. Moreover, evaluating the prevalence rates of HBV, HCV, and HIV in other hospitals and dialysis centers in Mashhad is recommended to minimize viral infections. Initial HBV vaccination for patients that require hemodialysis is crucial.

Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors for Hepatitis B Virus among Pregnant Women Attending a Public Health Facility in Osogbo, Nigeria

BackgroundHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among pregnant women has a high rate of vertical transmission and consequential effects on fetal and neonatal outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care services in Osogbo, Nigeria.MethodologyThis hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women attending routine antenatal care clinic between April and June 2021. Systematic random sampling technique was used to recruit 240 pregnant women, their data were collected by face to face interview using a pretested questionnaire, while blood sample was collected aseptically to determine hepatitis B surface antigen by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay test kit. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine the association between explanatory variables and outcome variable.ResultsThe mean age and seroprevalence of the study population were 27.50 ± 4.4 years and 5.8% respectively. The significant risk factors for HBV infection were tattooing (aOR = 5.22; 95% CI = 0.52–8.01; p = 0.0000), history of multiple sexual partners (aOR = 2.88; 95% CI = 1.92–12.42; p = 0.0044); and past history of contact with HBV patient (aOR = 2.17; 95% CI = 1.21–15.32; p = 0.0310) were significant predictors of HBV infection.ConclusionThe seroprevalence of HBV from this study was of intermediate endemicity. We therefore, advocate for continuous health education programs on the mode of HBV transmission, high-risk behaviors and methods of preventions at antenatal care clinics to raise the awareness of mothers and limit the spread of infection.Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2023;6(2):199-207

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis/hepatocellular carcinoma: A single-center retrospective study

Background and aimsHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major global health problem which progresses to liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Early prediction of disease changes and intervention are essential to slow disease progression and protect liver function. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with HBV-related LC and HCC at different serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and explore the risk factors of HBV infection progressing to LC/HCC. MethodsA total of 379 patients with HBV infection treated in The Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen between January 2014 and December 2016 without any antiviral drug therapy were enrolled. Patients were divided into the LC/HCC and non-LC/HCC groups based on clinical diagnosis, which was determined through imaging and expressions of pathological and laboratory test markers, and patients with LC/HCC were further divided into three groups according to the serum ALT levels. Differences in general information, clinical symptoms, and expression levels of serological indices of the above groups were compared and analyzed, logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for LC/HCC development, and the clinical diagnostic efficacy of indicators was judged by the receiver operator characteristic (ROC). ResultsLC/HCC mainly occurred in the ALT normal and mildly elevated groups, with 70.83% of patients with HCC having an LC background. In the comparison of different ALT level groups, the moderately–severely elevated group had the highest proportion of patients with skin jaundice, abdominal varices, rebound tenderness, higher white blood cell and neutrophil (NEUT) counts; and higher levels of aspartate aminotransferase, glutamyl transpeptidase, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin. The LC/HCC group was older and had significantly higher proportions of male patients, alcohol consumption, and combined hypertension than the non-LC/HCC group (all P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that age, combined hypertension, abdominal varicose veins, subcostal palpation, and NEUT count were risk factors for LC/HCC development; and the area under the curve for this model on the ROC analysis was 0.935 (95% confidence interval 0.899–0.972) with specificity and sensitivity of 97.4% and 70.7%, respectively. ConclusionsAdvanced age, combined hypertension, abdominal varicose veins, subcostal palpation, and high NEUT count are risk factors for LC/HCC development in patients with untreated HBV infection.

Risk Factors for Hepatitis B Virus Infection in North Ethiopia: A Case-Control Study.

Hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) is an important clinical and public health problem that contributes to liver-related public health morbidity and mortality. Although childhood vaccination was introduced in 1980, hospital admissions, morbidity and mortality rates from HBV infection increased in Ethiopia. Risk factors for HBV infection and associated complications generally vary from case to case. No epidemiological studies have identified the risk factors for HBV infection in northern Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to identify risk factors for HBV infection in specialist and teaching hospitals in Ayder. From March 2019 to May 2019, an unmatched hospital-based case-control study has been carried out on a total of 213 patients [71 cases and 142 controls] in northern Ethiopia. Cases were selected sequentially and two consecutive controls were selected for each case by a simple random method. The data were collected using pretested questionnaires structured by the interviewer as part of a face-to-face interview. Data were entered in Epi Data version 3.1, exported and analyzed with SPSS version 22. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used. Statistical significance was given as P <0.05. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with familial exposure to hepatitis (AOR 3.7, 95% CI: 1.5-9.01), prior traditional medical procedure (AOR 1.2, 95% CI: 1.08-3.4), any history of dental procedures (AOR 3.8, 95% CI: 1.8-9.01) were associated risk factors to hepatitis B virus infection, and awareness of sexually transmitted hepatitis B virus infection (AOR 0.084, 95% CI: 0.01-0.6) is less likely to be infected with hepatitis B virus infection. This study (findings) demonstrated that contact with a case of hepatitis in the family, history of dentist visits, prior traditional medical procedure, and lack of awareness of its transmission through sexual contact have been identified as independent risk factors for the development of hepatitis B virus infection.

Efficacy of Hepatitis B Vaccination Procedures in Infants and Children Born from HBsAg-positive Mothers in Iran: A Case Study of Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran

Background: Viral infections have been a major public health concern in recent years. Viral hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the serious healthcare system issues in Iran. Family transmission of HBV in pregnant women is a major cause of the high prevalence of HBV infection in neonates and related persons. The expanded program on immunization (EPI) was the main way to prevent this infection. Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the effectiveness of the hepatitis B vaccine in infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers in Khorasan Razavi province. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 53 HBsAg-positive women between March 2017 and April 2019 in Khorasan Razavi province, Iran. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to conduct screenings for HBsAg in children. Risk factors for HBV infection were investigated using medical records and structured questionnaires. Results: The prevalence of HBsAg positivity was 1.2% (1/83) among children aged 1-3 years old. All children received three doses of HBV vaccine according to the HBV immunization program. The positive hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) test among children under study was 80.7% (n=67). Conclusion: The results indicated a low prevalence of hepatitis B infection among infants and children born to HBsAg-positive mothers (1.2); however, protective anti-HBs levels were reported in 80.7% (&lt;95%) of the children. It appears that the efficiency level of the hepatitis B vaccination procedure was not sufficient in this study. Overall, revaccination is recommended for children who are anti-HBs-negative or not protected.

Behavioral Risk Factors of HBV Infection and its Association with HBs Ag Positivity among Residents of Kaza Sub- division of District Lahaul &amp; Spiti in Himachal Pradesh

Background: Chronic viral hepatitis is a major global public health problem, an important cause of morbidity and mortality. We conducted this study to evaluate the behavioral risk factors of HBV infection and its association with HBsAg positivity among residents of Kaza sub-division of district Lahaul &amp; Spiti in Himachal Pradesh. Material &amp; Methods: The study was carried out by the Gastroenterology, Community Medicine, and Microbiology Department at Indira Gandhi Medical College Shimla at Kaza, a subdivision of Lahaul &amp; Spiti. The cluster sampling technique was used to get the desired sample size of 4000. Forty clusters were chosen using a probability proportionate to size sampling method, and 100 research participants were added to each cluster using a simple random sampling method. The data was gathered using a pre-tested interview plan. A blood sample of 5ml from each study participant was obtained, and its HBsAg content was examined. Results: In our study, 2.7% of the interviewed respondents’ parents were positive for hepatitis B and 3.7% reported one positive family member. Injectable drug use was reported by 1.6 (68/4231). Among these users 8.8% (6/68) shared needles with other IDUs in last 12 months and 35.3% (24/68) used a common container to draw up drug solution. Sexual intercourse was reported to be experienced by 15.5 (655/4231) and 12.2% either did not disclose or were children. Out of those who ever experienced sexual/penetrative intercourse 38.3% (251/655) had reported it with someone else other than a spouse. Majority of these had two partners other than a spouse (30.3%; 76/251). Around 30% (195/655) reported of using a condom in their last intercourse. Body piercings or a tattoo from someone who doesn’t sterilize his or her equipment, including local treatment from lamas, was prevalent among 16.3% of the population (689/4231). Acupuncture was taken as a remedy for any medical condition by 9% of participants. Regression analysis also revealed that one infected family member emerged as an independent factor associated with HBsAg positive test after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion: Our study provided much important information concerning hepatitis B risk factors in this tribal group. Health education about behavioral risk factors among this tribal population should be the main intervention that might help limit the spread of these blood-borne infections.

High seroprevalence and associated risk factors for hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women living with HIV in Mtwara region, Tanzania

BackgroundHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection continues to be a global public health problem. As of 2019, there were 296 million people chronically infected with HBV, resulting in nearly 1 million deaths from decompensated cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. The seroprevalence of HBV infection among pregnant women in Tanzania was reported to range between 3.8 and 8.03%. However, data on HBV infection in HIV-infected pregnant women is limited. We aimed to determine the seroprevalence and associated risk factors for HBV infection among HIV-infected pregnant women in selected health facilities in the Mtwara region. This was a health facility-based quantitative cross-sectional study conducted for three months (from February to April 2022). A structured questionnaire was used to collect information from the study participants. A total of 4 ml of blood was collected for HBV screening and confirmatory tests using rapid diagnostic tests and automated Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) tests, respectively. The logistic regression model was used to identify significant variables for HBV infection.ResultsTwo hundred and twenty (n = 220) pregnant women living with HIV were enrolled in this study, with a median age of 32.7 years (Interquartile range (IQR) 27.6–37.6). The seroprevalence of HBV, chronic, and acute HBV infections were 10.5%, 10.0%, and 0.5%, respectively. We found that the multiparous women [aOR 11.99: 95% CI 1.11–129.01, p = 0.040], being infected with syphilis [aOR 27.65: 95% CI 9.07–84.30, p < 0.001], and having HIV viral load of 1000 copies/ml and above [aOR 16.00: 95% CI 1.70–150.63, p = 0.015], are factors independently associated with HBV infection.ConclusionsThe overall seroprevalence of HBV infection among pregnant women was 10.5%, which is high endemicity. Furthermore, the study revealed that having more than four children, a high HIV-1 viral load of ≥ 1000cp/ml, and being infected with syphilis are significant risk factors associated with HBV infection among pregnant women living with HIV in the Mtwara region.

Impact of methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase gene C677T and A1298C polymorphisms as a risk factor for hepatitis B virus infection

Chronic hepatitis B infection caused by Hepatitis B virus (HBV), influences over two billion people worldwide despite having an effective vaccine. With a total prevalence of 4.57%, there are 3.3 million estimated HBV carriers in Türkiye. Methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) arrange folate metabolism through nucleic acid synthesis and DNA methylation. C677T (rs1801133, p.Ala222Val) and A1298C (rs1801131, p.Glu429Ala) polymorphisms of MTHFR gene have effect of reducing the activity of enzyme. We purposed to investigate the correlation between C677T and A1298C polymorphisms of MTHFR gene with HBV infection in a Turkish population. One hundred eighteen HBV-infected participants and ninety healthy controls were incorporated in this research. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was applied to discover the genotypes of MTHFR polymorphisms. We demonstrated that T allele and CT + TT genotype frequencies of C677T polymorphism were significantly increased in HBV-infected participants than healthy controls [p = 0.015, OR (95% Cl) = 1.7 (1.11–2.79) and p = 0.020, OR (95% Cl) = 1.9 (1.10–3.42), respectively). No significant associations were noted concerning the A1298C polymorphism (p > 0.05). CC-AA composite genotype was observed to be significantly elevated in healthy controls than HBV-infected participants (32.2% vs. 13.6%, p = 0.001). In addition, the frequency of T-C haplotype was found to be considerably higher in the patient group than control group (15.8% vs 11.8%, p = 0.018). In conclusion, we found that T allele of C677T polymorphism poses a risk factor for HBV infection. We also discovered a protective impact of the CC-AA composite genotype against HBV infection and a risk effect of the T-A haplotype for HBV-infection.

The Prevelance of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Among Blood Donors in Some Hospitals of Thamar, Yemen

Viral hepatitis is a general term meaning inflammation of the liver and can be caused by a variety of viruses such as hepatitis B virus.&#x0D; Hepatitis B is a serious transfusion-transmissible disease affecting millions of people throughout the world.&#x0D; This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of HBsAg and the risk factors for HBV infection among blood donors in Thamar governorate/Yemen, and to focus upon the importance of blood transfusion in spreading the hepatitis B virus.&#x0D; A total of 200 blood donors at the blood bank of Thamar hospital and Al-Wehda teaching hospital, during the period of January 2009 to October 2009, and January 2010 to July 2010, were screened for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) . Each patient filled a questionnaire including age, sex, dental visit, blood transfusion ..etc. The donors were all male adult (age: 17-45 years).&#x0D; Four out of 200 (2%) donors were found to be HBsAg positive by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using monoclonal antibodies to HBsAg. Two of the four (50%) HBsAg-positive donors have relative symptoms of HBV (i.e jaundice) while the other two HBsAg-positive donors were asymptomatic. Questionnaires revealed that: The four positive donors were all married. The two asymptomatic HBsAg-positive donors were army soldiers. The other two symptomatic donors were civil workers.&#x0D; One of the two asymptomatic donors has donated a blood a year ago and found to be HBsAg negative.&#x0D; One of the symptomatic positive donors has had two previous surgical operations and received several pints of blood.&#x0D; This study emphasizes the need for an accurate detection of this virus, and the need for using confirmatory tests for HBsAg detection and also the need to undertake serious measures to control the spread of HBV among Yemeni people.&#x0D;

Prevalence of HBsAg among patients attending a tertiary hospital in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Nigeria has one of the greatest disease burdens from chronic viral hepatitis. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important public health problem worldwide, more than two million people. Globally, around 96% of viral hepatitis deaths are attributable to HBV and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) but the prevalence of these infections is poorly characterized. Thus, this study aimed to investigate seroepidemiological aspects of HBV infection and its associated factors among patients attending a tertiary hospital in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Serum samples from 92 participants were screened for a serological marker of HBV infection (HBsAg) by Monolisa HBsAg ULTRA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit (manufactured by BIO RAD Laboratories, California, United States) following the manufacturer’s guidelines. Of the 92 patients tested, 10 (10.9%) were positive while 82 (89.1%) were negative. Among them (10/92), the majority were females (11.0%, 8/73) than males (10.5%, 2/19); the highest prevalence rate of an HBsAg occurred in the age group of 21-30 years (17.6%, 3/17). A higher prevalence of HBV (13.2%, 9/68) occurred in the married than singles (4.2%, 1/24). This study showed a high seroprevalence (10.9%), which indicates a rise in the prevalence of HBV in the study area. The findings of this study confirm the findings of other studies that HBV is endemic in Nigeria. These finding views females and males as fairly equivalent in the risk of HBV infection. As the prevalence of young adults were higher than older adults, this is considered cogent as younger adults are implicated as risk factors for HBV infection. This study adds important granularity to our understanding of the hepatitis epidemic. Large cross-sectional studies are needed to better characterize HBV prevalence, but mass screening may not be warranted.

Insights on 21 Years of HBV Surveillance in Blood Donors in France.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most frequent viral infection found in blood donors (BDs) in France. We analyzed the epidemiological and sero-molecular data on HBV infection gathered over the past two decades by the French haemovigilance surveillance network, blood screening laboratories, and the national reference center for transfusion infectious risks (NRC). Between 2000 and 2020, 6149 of the 58,160,984 donations (1.06/10,000) tested HBV positive, 98% of them from first-time blood donors (FTBDs). In addition, 2212 (0.0071%) of the 30,977,753 donations screened for HBV DNA tested DNA positive, of which 25 (1.1%) were positive only for this marker. HBV prevalence decreased by 2.8-fold and the residual risk for transfusion-transmitted HBV infection decreased 13-fold and was divided by 13. The major risk factor for HBV infection was the origin of donors (endemic country, 66.5%), followed by parenteral exposure (10.7%). In the whole HBV-positive BD population, genotype D was predominant (41.8%), followed by genotypes A (26.2%) and E (20.4%), reflecting the geographical origin of donors. The low and decreasing prevalence and incidence of HBV infection in French BDs, coupled with a screening strategy using three HBV markers (HBsAg, anti-HBc and DNA), ensures a high level of blood safety, further reinforced by the implementation of pathogen-reduction measures.