Rheumatoid factor in hepatitis B virus surface antigen positive patients

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Hepatology
• Rheumatology

Background:

• Rheumatoid factor (RF) is an autoantibody found in various conditions, including nonrheumatic diseases.
• The presence and significance of RF in Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of rheumatoid factor (RF) in healthy adults with and without Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).
• To explore the association between RF and different Hepatitis B virus (HBV) serological markers, including HBeAg and anti-HBe.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 95 healthy HBsAg-positive adults and 98 healthy HBsAg-negative adults.
• Rheumatoid factor (RF) levels were measured in all participants.
• Associations between RF positivity and HBsAg, HBeAg, and anti-HBe antibody status were analyzed.

Main Results:

• RF was detected in 14.74% of HBsAg-positive adults versus 3.06% in HBsAg-negative adults (p < 0.05), indicating a significantly higher prevalence in the HBsAg-positive group.
• No significant difference in RF positivity was observed between HBeAg-positive (15.38%) and HBeAg-negative (14.63%) individuals (p > 0.05).
• A trend towards higher RF positivity was noted in anti-HBe antibody-positive individuals (16.90%) compared to anti-HBe antibody-negative individuals (8.33%), though not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• HBsAg positivity is associated with a significantly higher prevalence of rheumatoid factor in healthy adults.
• The presence of HBeAg or anti-HBe antibodies does not show a significant correlation with RF positivity in this cohort.
• Further research may clarify the potential link between anti-HBe antibodies and RF.