Seroprevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus infection among taiwanese human immunodeficiency virus type 1-positive persons in the era of nationwide hepatitis B vaccination.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to assess the impact of nationwide hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination program on the seroprevalence of HBV infection among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive persons in a country where most HBV exposure occurs during the perinatal period or in early childhood.


METHODS
Data on HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HBV surface (anti-HBs), anti-HBV core (anti-HBc), and anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) antibody were retrospectively collected from 3,164 HIV-positive and 2,594 HIV-negative persons between 2004 and 2007. Comparisons of serological markers of HBV and HCV were made between HIV-positive and -negative adults born before and after the implementation of the HBV vaccination program in Taiwan in July 1984.


RESULTS
Compared with HIV-negative persons, the adjusted odds ratio for HBsAg seropositivity was 1.100 (95% confidence interval, 0.921-1.315) among HIV-positive persons. Although the seroprevalence of anti-HCV antibody remained similar between HIV-positive persons born before and those born after 1984, the seroprevalence of HBsAg declined from 20.3 to 3.3% in HIV-positive persons (P<0.001) and from 15.5 to 8.5% in HIV-negative persons (P<0.001). Despite the high seroprevalence of anti-HCV antibody (97.1%) in HIV-positive injecting drug users (IDUs), there was no statistically significant difference in the seroprevalence of HBsAg (5.6% vs. 8.5%, P=0.75) or anti-HBc antibody (40.7% vs. 27.9%, P=0.14) between HIV-positive IDUs and HIV-negative persons who were born after 1984.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study showed a significant decline of seroprevalence of HBV infection among both HIV-negative and -positive persons who were born in the era of the nationwide HBV vaccination in Taiwan.
Sun
Hsin-Yun
HY
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Ko
Wen-Chien
WC
Tsai
Jih-Jin
JJ
Lee
Hsin-Chun
HC
Liu
Chun-Eng
CE
Wong
Wing-Wai
WW
Su
Shey-Chiang
SC
Ho
Mao-Wang
MW
Cheng
Shu-Hsing
SH
Yang
Chin-Hui
CH
Lin
Yu-Hui
YH
Miao
Wei-Jay
WJ
Sheng
Wang-Huei
WH
Hung
Chien-Ching
CC
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines