Short report: hepatitis b infection and severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Vietnamese adults.
We investigated the prevalence of infection with hepatitis B virus among adult Vietnamese patients hospitalized for severe Plasmodiumfalciparum malaria. Sera from patients admitted with severe malaria in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, between May 1991 and January 1996 were assayed for hepatitis B surface antigen (HB(s)Ag) by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The overall prevalence of HB(s)Ag was 23.77% (77 of 324). This was higher than reported estimates of prevalence in the general catchment population for the study hospital (mean, 9.8%; range, 9-16%). No association was found between risk of death caused by severe malaria and HB(s)Ag. Patients admitted with cerebral malaria had a slightly greater risk of registering positive for HB(s)Ag (relative risk, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.58) relative to other manifestations of severe malaria. Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus may be a risk factor for severe malaria.
US Naval Medical Research Unit 2, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Mazie J
MJ
Barcus
Tran T
TT
Hien
Nicholas J
NJ
White
Kanti
K
Laras
Jeremy
J
Farrar
Ira K
IK
Schwartz
Andrew
A
Corwin
J Kevin
JK
Baird
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology
D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens