title: Seroprevalence of hepatitis B in a cohort of HIV-infected children and adults in Swaziland.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important co-morbidity in the HIV epidemic. A retrospective chart review was performed of HIV-infected patients with no previous antiretroviral history enrolled in a Swaziland clinic from January 2009 to May 2011. The seroprevalence of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) was calculated and the data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U and Fisher's exact tests. A total of 1282 patients were included in analysis. Five hundred were children aged <15 years. Overall HBsAg seroprevalence was 3.7% (1.4% of children and 5.1% of adults). Prevalence in under-5s was low (0.4%). Among adult women and men, prevalence was 4.2% and 9.8%, respectively (P = 0.022). Median alanine aminotransferase level was 19 U/L in the HBsAg-negative adults and 25 U/L in the HBsAg-positive adults (P = 0.005). Given the number of patients found to be HBsAg-positive, especially among adults, it is important for antiretroviral programmes to consider universal screening and strategically utilize medications that have been found effective in treating both HBV and HIV.
authors: Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA. eric.dziuban@gmail.com
authors: E J
authors: EJ
authors: Dziuban
authors: S A
authors: SA
authors: Marton
authors: A B
authors: AB
authors: Hughey
authors: T L
authors: TL
authors: Mbingo
authors: H R
authors: HR
authors: Draper
authors: G E
authors: GE
authors: Schutze
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060085:Coinfection; D013541:Eswatini / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: AIDS; Africa; HIV; coinfection; hepatitis B virus; paediatric; seroprevalence