Seroprevalence and biochemical features of hepatitis B surface antigenemia in patients with HIV-1 infection in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Studies have confirmed HBsAg antigenemia as an important correlate of HIV-1 infections in Nigeria. However, the hepatic pathophysiology and therapeutic implications in antiretroviral regimens are poorly understood. In this study, fifty-four HIV-1 seropositive patients aged 16-47 years (mean age 31.8 years) with CD4 T lymphocyte counts of 148 - 420 cells/mm' attending clinics in General Hospital. Ikeja and private medical centres in Lagos Island, Nigeria and forty sex and age-matched apparently healthy controls were serologically examined as carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using a particle agglutination assay procedure (Sensitivity 94.5 - 100%, Serodia®- HBs.PA. Fujirebio. Inc.). HBsAg was detected in 28 (51.9%) and 5 (12.5%) of the patients and controls respectively (÷ 2 Mantel-Haenszel = 13.8; P = 0.02). HBV co-infection was found to result in significant (P < 0.05) reduction in total lymphocyte count (1368.6 + 53.2 vs. 1590.5 + 80.4 cells/ mm) with 7 of 10 (70%), 18 of33 (54.5%) and 3 of 6 (50%) HIV-1 patients having < 200, 200 - 350 and > 350 CD4 lymphocyte cells/µl and eliciting HBsAg antigenemia. These patients exhibited 2.9 - 8.6% reduction in CD4 T lymphocyte counts compared to their seronegative counterparts.