title: Hepatitis B virus infection in a cohort of HIV infected blood donors and AIDS patients in Sichuan, China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Co-infections of HBV and HIV are frequent due to similar routes of transmission. In that transmission through blood is an important route for both HBV and HIV, evaluation of the prevalence of HBV in HIV infected blood donors may be important for transfusion safety. In addition, because the epidemiological characteristics of HBV in HIV infected patients and blood donors may differ from each other, understanding of it could be significant for therapy and prevention of HBV in HIV infected adults. However, data reported on these in Chinese people remains limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  614 HIV confirmed positive samples were collected from blood donors and patients and were screened for HBsAg and HBV DNA. The samples screened reactive for HBsAg or positive for HBV DNA were tested for the other serological markers of HBV including anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe and anti-HBc. For the samples tested positive for HBV DNA, the S region of HBV was amplified by nested PCR and the HBV genotypes were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HBV coinfections were found in 12.9% (79/614) HIV infected individuals including 42/417(10.1%) blood donors and 37/197 (18.8%) AIDS patients. In the HBsAg positive individuals, 80.0% were HBeAg negative in which 10.0% were HBV DNA negative and 38.3% with HBV DNA lower than 2000 IU/ml. The average HBV DNA levels were lower in donors than in patients. In the HBV DNA positive populations, HBV genotypes B, A and C accounted for 48.1%, 22.8% and 8.86% respectively. Mutations related to the failure of HBsAg detection were found in 2 of the 4 HBsAg-/HBV DNA + subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High prevalence of HBV in HIV infected individuals was found in this study. Hence, we recommend routine testing of HBV for patients newly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in China. Some HIV-HBV co-infected patients remain undiagnosed if only conventional serological markers for HBV are used and it's important to detect HBV DNA for HIV infected patients. HBV DNA levels were relatively low in HBeAg negative patients, thus this serologic marker may be useful in prioritizing patients on their need for HBV treatment in settings in which HBV DNA is not available.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Peibin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Jingxing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.affiliation: Experimental center of transfusion medicine, Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hua Cai Road 26 Hao, Dong San Huan Road Er Duan, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. messa1022@126.com.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001782:Blood Donors; D002681:China; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017931:DNA Primers; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers