Active replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in HIV type 1 and in HIV type 2 infected patients

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of concurrent infection by HIV on HBV infection or immunity, we have studied a group of 66 HIV1+ symptomatic Caucasian patients and another of 38 African HIV2+ asymptomatic individuals, concerning their HBV status: serological markers of infection and presence of HBV-DNA in serum, the last taken as sign of hepatitis B virus active replication, were monitored. HIV+ groups were compared with seronegative controls, adequately matched for age, sex and ethnological background. HBV DNA was found in 7.6% of HIV1+ Caucasian patients and 3.2% of seronegative controls; in African HIV2+ individuals 2.6% were also HBV DNA+, a percentage close to that found in HIV2 seronegative controls (2.9%). No correlation was found between HIV infection and HBV active replication. Immunodepression that follows HIV infection over time may be compatible with a degree of T cell function capable of avoiding reinfection with or reactivation of HBV, even in symptomatic stages of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Our findings are relevant to the choice of preventive strategies in populations at risk for HIV and HBV infection.

Hepatitis B reactivation after chemotherapy: two decades of clinical research

“…This is particularly a problem in Asia owing to the high hepatitis B surface antigen carrier rate, compounded by the recent increase in use of cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy for the treatment of a wide variety of clinical diseases [21]. With the increasing prevalence of HIV infection, HBV reactivation has also been observed in HBV-infected subjects with advanced immune deficiency due to HIV infection [22][23][24][25][26][27]. Hepatitis due to HBV reactivation has not only been reported in HBsAg-positive patients, HBeAg-positive [6,[28][29][30] or HBeAg-negative [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41] subjects who were treated with chemotherapy and transplantation but also in HBsAg-negative patients who had past HBV infection (hepatitis B surface antibody; antiHBs positive and hepatitis B core antibody; anti-HBc positive) [42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49], especially those treated with rituximab or alemtuzumab-containing chemotherapy [50][51][52][53][54][55].…”