title: Anti-HIV seropositivity was related to HBsAg seropositivity among injecting drug users in Taiwan.
abstract: In Taiwan, the number of new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection via drug injection has been increasing since 2003. Due to HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) having similar transmission routes, HBV and HIV infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) has become an important public health issue. The aim of this study was explore the prevalence of HBV infection among IDUs with and without HIV infection, and examine whether HIV infection is associated with HBV infection among IDUs in Southern Taiwan. We enrolled 566 IDUs, including 87 anti-HBV positive IDUs and 479 anti-HBV negative IDUs, and also analyzed the results of liver function tests, HBV DNA, anti-HIV, HIV RNA, and CD4 cell count. The results showed that the prevalence of HBV infection among IDUs was 15.4%. The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was higher among individuals born before 1985 (15.9% vs. 4.0%), but this was not significant. Anti-HIV seropositivity was related to HBsAg seropositivity [odds ratio (OR) = 2.47, 95% confidence interval = 1.26-4.82, p = 0.008). Anti-HCV and anti-HIV were risk factors for abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT; OR = 2.11, 95% confidence interval = 1.005-4.42, p = 0.048 and OR = 1.47, 95% confidence interval = 1.02-2.10, p = 0.04, respectively), and HBsAg was not a factor related to abnormal ALT. In conclusion, the prevalence of HBV infection was similar in the general population and in IDUs, and due to anti-HIV seropositivity being significantly related to HBsAg seropositivity, HBV infection among IDUs is still important. We suggest that for IDUs, HBsAg should be monitored closely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Meng-Hsuan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Yen
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Department of Occupational Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Center and Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Lun
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Hepatitis Center and Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Chi
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jeng-Fu
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Ru
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tun-Chieh
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jee-Fu
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Hepatitis Center and Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Yen
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Tropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Electronic address: jijits@cc.kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Jih-Jin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Hepatitis Center and Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Hepatitis Center and Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Lung
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D060085:Coinfection / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D055030:Drug Users; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
keywords: Hepatitis B virus; Human immunodeficiency virus; Injecting drug users; Taiwan