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Hepatitis B and C viruses serology in patients with SLE

M Abu-Shakra1, S El-Sana, M Margalith

  • 1Rheumatic Diseases Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Soroka Medical Centre and Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Lupus
|January 1, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis B and C infections are not more common in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) than in the general population. Testing found no hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and only one case of anti-HCV antibodies in 95 SLE patients.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Hepatology
  • Rheumatology

Background:

  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease.
  • The prevalence of chronic viral hepatitis, such as Hepatitis B and C, in SLE patients requires investigation.
  • Understanding co-infections in SLE is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in patients diagnosed with SLE.
  • To compare the infection rates with those in the general population.

Main Methods:

  • Sera from 95 SLE patients were analyzed.
  • Tests for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were performed.
  • Screening for anti-hepatitis C antibodies (anti-HCV) was conducted.

Main Results:

  • Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was not detected in any of the SLE patients' sera.
  • Only one out of 95 SLE patients tested positive for anti-HCV antibodies.
  • The observed prevalence suggests no increased risk for chronic HBV or HCV infection in this SLE cohort.

Conclusions:

  • Chronic Hepatitis B and C infections do not appear to be more prevalent in SLE patients compared to the general population.
  • These findings indicate that routine screening for HBV and HCV in SLE patients may not be necessary unless specific risk factors are present.
  • Further research could explore the impact of immunosuppressive therapies on viral hepatitis prevalence in SLE.

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