Seroepidemiology of hepatitis-B surface antigenaemia in HIV positive patients

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection with HIV is a potential and significant cause of mortality and morbidity in HIV-positive patients.

This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among HIV positive patients and to identify the risk groups for HIV/ HBV co-infection among these patients.

The diagnosis of HIV infection was made using Determine register mark or target rapid screening kits and reactive samples were confirmed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The marker for HBV was HBsAg which was detected using an ELISA technique.

HBsAg was repeatedly detected in 29 (28.4%) of HIV-positive patients. Ninety-eight percent of the subjects were confirmed positive for HIV-1 and 1.9%for HIV-2. There were 32(31.4%) males and 70(68.6%) females aged 20 to 75 years (mean+/-SD: 40+/-11.7) .HIV/ HBV co-infection rate was highest in the age group 31-40 years.More males [12 (37.58%)] than female subjects 17/70 (24.3%) were HIV/HBV co-infected, (p>0.05).

There is a high prevalence of HBsAg in HIV positive patients.