Coinfection of hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus in HIV-infected patients in south India.
OBJECTIVE
To screen for the co-infection of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients in southern India.


METHODS
Five hundred consecutive HIV infected patients were screened for Hepatitis B Virus (HBsAg and HBV-DNA) and Hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV and HCV-RNA) using commercially available ELISA kits; HBsAg, HBeAg/anti-HBe (Biorad laboratories, USA) and anti-HCV (Murex Diagnostics, UK). The HBV-DNA PCR was performed to detect the surface antigen region (pre S-S). HCV-RNA was detected by RT-PCR for the detection of the constant 5' putative non-coding region of HCV.


RESULTS
HBV co-infection was detected in 45/500 (9%) patients and HCV co-infection in 11/500 (2.2%) subjects. Among the 45 co-infected patients only 40 patients could be studied, where the detection rates of HBe was 55% (22/40), antiHBe was 45% (18/40) and HBV-DNA was 56% (23/40). Among 11 HCV co-infected subjects, 6 (54.5%) were anti-HCV and HCV RNA positive, while 3 (27.2%) were positive for anti-HCV alone and 2 (18%) were positive for HCV RNA alone.


CONCLUSIONS
Since the principal routes for HIV transmission are similar to that followed by the hepatotropic viruses, as a consequence, infections with HBV and HCV are expected in HIV infected patients. Therefore, it would be advisable to screen for these viruses in all the HIV infected individuals and their sexual partners at the earliest.
Saravanan
Shanmugam
S
YRG Centre for AIDS Research and Education, VHS Campus, Taramani, Chennai 600 113, India. saravanan@yrgcare.org
Velu
Vijayakumar
V
Kumarasamy
Nagalingeswaran
N
Nandakumar
Subhadra
S
Murugavel
Kailapuri Gangatharan
KG
Balakrishnan
Pachamuthu
P
Suniti
Solomon
S
Thyagarajan
Sadras Panchatcharam
SP
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral