Characteristics of Hepatitis B Co-infection and Disease Evolution in HIV-Positive Paediatric Patients in Romania

Abstract

Background: Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) contributes to morbidity and mortality in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Aims:The aim of the present study is to assess the influence of HBV co-infection in clinical characteristics and disease evolution among nosocomial HIV infected youth in Romania.Study Design: Retrospective study. Methods:We assessed HBsAg in 179 young people with nosocomial paediatric HIV infection. Demographic data, ALAT level, CD4-count, HIV-RNA, antiretroviral therapy and clinical behaviour were all statistically compared in patients who were HIV mono-infected and HBV-co-infected. Results:The characteristics of patients are as follows: sex ratio M/F: 55.3%, AIDS category 88%, median nadir CD4-count 126/mm 3 . The prevalence of persistent HBsAg was 44.6%. The mortality rate was 11.1%, but no correlation with HBsAg was found. An average of three antiretroviral combinations is experienced by 97.7% of patients, including Lamivudine for over 5 years in 76% of cases and Tenofovir/Emtricitabine in 16.75% of patients. Patients under antiretroviral therapy achieved 53.07% sustained undetectable HIV-RNA and 40.78% restored immunity CD4-count >500/mm 3 . ALAT enzyme was found to be high in 54.75% of patients.Conclusion: During our research, we noticed that HBsAg was elevated in young people with HIV in Romania. Mortality rate was not statistically correlated to HBsAg. High ALAT levels are related with HBV, HDV co-infections, virological failure to antiretroviral treatment and the risk of death.

Hepatitis B Co - Infection in HIV AIDS Patients in Woldia, Ethiopia

“…Reasons for getting opportunistic infection also related to CD4 cell count decline gradually. This finding was consistent with other studies done on related title [9][10][11] The main possible factors for co-infection rate leads (brings) to high: Smoking, blood transfusion, alcohol consumption, sharing razor for tattooing, injecting drug use, unsafe injection, unusual drug addiction, unsafe homo and hero-sexual habit (lifestyles), unsafe surgical history, tooth extraction and low CD4 count are baseline characteristics and also supported with many coherent studies in different place [3,4,6,8,[12][13][14][15][16]. In the current study, all respondents have knowledge toward prevention practices on HBV.…”

“…HBV is the major health problem in different parts of the world. It is potential for morbidity and mortality in HIV patients due to both share uniform way of transmission pattern then the possibility of coinfection leads to high/more chronic [1][2][3][4]. HIV AIDS patients are sensitive for opportunistic infection and co-infection especially in Hepatitis B virus [5].…”