Background: Both hepatitis-B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are common in Nigeria and are a significant cause of mortality and morbidity. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in HIV infected patients and to highlight the need to pay attention to the recognition of potentially severe concurrent illness that may increase morbidity and mortality of HIV infected patients.
Methods: Three hundred and forty-two HIV positive patients recruited into the antiretroviral therapy pilot project at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital comprising 192 males and 150 females between June 1995 to February 2003 constituted subjects for this study. HIV status of subjects was confirmed using the WHO approved Immunocomb (Organics, Israel) and Recombigen HIV I and II kits (Cambridge diagnostics, Ireland). HBsAg was assayed using the commercially available Clinotech HBsAg kits based on the chromatographic immunoassay technique (Clinotech diagnostics, Canada).
Results: HBsAg was detected in 33 (9.7%) of patients infected with HIV. Co-infection rate was highest in the 33-39 years age group. Single/unmarried patients constituted the highest proportion of those with HIV/HBV co-infection 21/195 (10.8%) followed by widowed/separated 4/47 (8.5%) and married (8.0%). Commercial sex workers had the highest prevalence among the occupational groups 4/30 (13.3%) followed by applicants 8/75 (10.7%) and drivers 4/40 (10.0%) while the lowest occupational prevalence occurred among farmers. Chi-square analysis indicated that age was an independent risk factor for HBV co-infection in HIV infected patients (P<0.05).
Conclusions: This study demonstrates a high prevalence (9.7%) of HBsAg in HIV infected patients. This calls for a more intensive prevention and surveillance measures to control the HIV/AIDS scourge and co-infection with HBV.