Hepatitis B virus infection: implications in chronic kidney disease, dialysis and transplantation

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection occurs worldwide but is most prevalent in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with reported prevalence rates varying from 3 - 26 %. The higher prevalence of infection has been reported in patients with HBV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection. Hepatitis B virus not only affects the liver but has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of membranous, membranoproliferative and mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritides. Though controlling the spread of HBV infection in renal dialysis units has been one of the major triumphs in the management of end-stage renal disease, transmission of HBV can still occur through contamination of equipments and environmental surfaces and the use of multiple dose vials of drugs. Some reports have indicated that prior HBV infections have negative impact on graft and host survival following transplantation. Interferon can be used in the treatment of HBV-associated glomerulonephritides (HBV- GN) but is contraindicated in transplantation because of its immuno-modulatory effects. Despite the fact that patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have suboptimal response to HBV immunization, immunization is still beneficial to these patients. However, reports indicate that most patients with CKD were either not immunized or were given suboptimal doses. Control of HBV in the population by immunization can lead to a reduction in the prevalence of HBV- GN. In addition, immunization of patients with CKD will help in controlling HBV infection in dialysis settings and can lead to improved graft and host survival following transplantation.