Hepatitis B and C Co-Infections in Some HIV-Positive Populations in Cameroon, West Central Africa

As people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Sub-Saharan Africa live longer due to availability of antiretroviral treatment (ART), so is the rise of associated infections with their burdens on patients. But reliable data on the prevalence of co-infection with hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV) still remains sparse and many individuals with HIV do not know their co-infection status.  

Of 531 participants, 68% were females and 32% males. Mean CD4 count was ~400 cells/μl. Seroprevalence rates for HBsAg and HCV-Ab were 23.7%, and 7.2%, respectively. Associations assessed using logistic regression revealed that HBsAg but not HCV-Ab positivity was linked to age, lower CD4 count and residing in an urban rather than in a rural setting. 

This high prevalence of co-infection with HBV raises the urgent need to systematically screen all newly diagnosed HIV cases for co-infection in Cameroon and other regions of sub-Saharan Africa where HIV accounts for the majority of the global infection, so as to improve management strategies for HBV infection and ART implementation.

Below:  Age-specific prevalence for co-infection with HBV or HCV. Prevalence rates were calculated based on the proportion of study participants at risk of co-infection in a given age group.

Below: Region-specific prevalence for co-infection with HBV or HCV. Prevalence rates were calculated based on the proportion of study participants at risk of co-infection in a given region

Read more at: http://goo.gl/6LJVE4

By: Jean Jacques N. Noubiap, Lucy A. Agyingi, Johnson N. Ngai

Serology Unit, Medical Diagnostic Center, Yaounde, Cameroon

Peter V. Aka

Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America

Aubin J. Nanfack, Phillipe N. Nyambi

Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America

Aubin J. Nanfack

Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Department of Immunology and Applied Biotechnology, University of Rome Tor Vergatta, Rome, Italy

Lucy A. Agyingi

Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon

Phillipe N. Nyambi

Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare Systems, New York, New York, United States of America