Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Infections in HIV-Infected Patients in Sierra Leone

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2019 Jun;100(6):1521-1524. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-1001.

Abstract

HIV coinfection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human T-cell lymphotropic viruses 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2) is common because of shared transmission routes. There is no published data on the prevalence of these infections in people living with HIV in Sierra Leone. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 211 HIV-positive patients aged ≥ 18 years in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in November 2017. Plasma samples were analyzed using the chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (Architect System, Abbott ARCHITECT Analyzer, Abbott Park, IL. The majority were female (63.5%), with median age 36 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 32-44) and median CD4 count of 396 cells/µL (IQR: 214-534). Sixty patients (28.4%) were newly diagnosed and antiretroviral therapy (ART) naive; 151 patients (71.6%) were ART experienced. The prevalence of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), total anti-hepatitis B core antibody, and anti-HCV was 21.7%, 82.9%, and 4.3%, respectively. No cases of HTLV-1 or HTLV-2 were detected. Male gender (P = 0.004) and CD4 < 350 cells/µL (P = 0.017) were associated with the HBsAg positive status.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • Coinfection
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / complications*
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology
  • HTLV-I Infections / blood
  • HTLV-I Infections / complications*
  • HTLV-I Infections / epidemiology
  • HTLV-II Infections / blood
  • HTLV-II Infections / complications*
  • HTLV-II Infections / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis B / blood
  • Hepatitis B / complications*
  • Hepatitis B / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis C / blood
  • Hepatitis C / complications*
  • Hepatitis C / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Sierra Leone / epidemiology
  • Young Adult