title: Prevalence of hepatitis B infection in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive and destructive inflammatory disease of the joints. They had increased mortality depend to use of immunosuppressive drugs. Hepatitis B virus infection is also a health problem in the world. Iran is moderate prevalence endemic area for Hepatitis B virus and it is come too reduced recently by children vaccination. Aim of this study is determined prevalence and screening of Hepatitis B virus infection in rheumatoid arthritis patients. This study is a descriptive cross-sectional which all patients with rheumatic arthritis recruited to study in Tehran in 2012. Then HbsAg and HbcAb assayed for each subjects. In 268 rheumatoid arthritis patients which (82.2%) were female and the average age is 46 +/- 14 years old. HbsAg and HbcAb were positive in 4 (1.49%) and 9 (3.35%), respectively. Only between duration of rheumatoid arthritis and HbcAb had significant association (p < 0.014). The present study highlights Rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with immunosuppressive drugs are at increased risk to reactivation of hepatitis B virus, so screening for Hepatitis B virus infection should be performed prior to immunosuppressive therapy.
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Gholam Hossein
authors: GH
authors: Alishiri
authors: Department of Infection Disease, Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran.
authors: Gholam Ali
authors: GA
authors: Ghorbani
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Salimzadeh
authors: S
authors: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents