title: Prevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency viral infections in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in north India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often require immunosuppressive therapy and blood transfusions and therefore are at a high risk of contracting infections due to hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In the present study, we assessed the prevalence of these infections in patients with IBD.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study included 908 consecutive patients with IBD (ulcerative colitis [UC], n=581; Crohn's disease [CD], n=327) who were receiving care at a tertiary care center. Ninety-five patients with intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) were recruited as disease controls. Prospectively maintained patient databases were reviewed for the prevalence of HBV surface antigen, anti-HCV antibodies, and HIV (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method). HCV RNA was examined in patients who tested positive for anti-HCV antibodies. Prevalence data of the study were compared with that of the general Indian population (HBV, 3.7%; HCV, 1%; HIV, 0.3%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV was 2.4%, 1.4%, and 0.1%, respectively, in the 908 patients with IBD. Among the 581 patients with UC, 2.2% (12/541) had HBV, 1.7% (9/517) had HCV, and 0.2% (1/499) had HIV. Among the 327 patients with CD, 2.8% (8/288) had HBV, 0.7% (2/273) had HCV, and 0% (0/277) had HIV. One patient with CD had HBV and HCV coinfection. The prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV in patients with ITB was 5.9% (4/67), 1.8% (1/57), and 1.2% (1/84), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV in north Indian patients with IBD is similar to the prevalence of these viruses in the general community. Nonetheless, the high risk of flare after immunosuppressive therapy mandates routine screening of patients with IBD for viral markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Parnita
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Harsh
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Vipin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kedia
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sawan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bopanna
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sucharita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pilli
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.lastname: Surendernath
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Govind Kumar
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Makharia
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Vineet
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ahuja
keywords: Colitis, ulcerative; Crohn disease; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; Inflammatory bowel disease