Seroprevalence and coprevalence of HIV and HBsAg in Nigerian children with/without protein energy malnutrition.
In order to assess the seroprevalence and coprevalence of hepatitis-B surface antigen (HBsAg), human immunodeficiency virus-1 and -2 (HIV-1 and -2) antibodies in Nigerian children with/without protein energy malnutrition (PEM), we studied plasma specimens of 206 children with PEM and 200 apparently healthy reference children aged between 1 and 3 years by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). HIV-seropositive cases were confirmed by immunoblotting (IB). Of the children studied, eight (4%) of the healthy and four (1.9%) of the malnourished (P = 0.22, Fisher's exact test) were positive for HIV-1 antibodies, 40 (20%) of the healthy and 54 (26%) of the malnourished (P = 0.14) were positive for HBsAg, and five (2.5%) of the healthy and four (1.9%) of the malnourished (P = 0.70) were positive for both HIV-1/HBsAg. No case of HIV-2 antibodies was found. While the seroprevalence of HBsAg was higher in the malnourished subjects, the reverse was the case with HIV antibodies. However, all the four HIV-1-positive malnourished children and five of eight of the HIV-1-positive reference children were simultaneously positive for HBsAg. This is the first epidemiological report on the seroprevalence and coprevalence of HIV and HBsAg in apparently healthy and malnourished Nigerian children.
Akenami
F O
FO
Haartman Institute, Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Finland. Francis.Akenami@Helsinki.FI
Koskiniemi
M
M
Ekanem
E E
EE
Bolarin
D M
DM
Vaheri
A
A
D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010949:Plasma / Q000276:immunology; D015995:Prevalence; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens