Hepatitis B and C virus infection among HIV patients within the public and private healthcare systems in Chile: A cross-sectional serosurvey

Abstract

Background Coinfections of HIV patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are mayor public health problems, contributing to the emerging burden of HIV-associated hepatic mortality. Coinfection rates vary geographically, depending on various factors such as predominant transmission modes, HBV vaccination rates, and prevalence of HBV and HCV in the general population. In South America, the epidemiology of coinfections is uncertain, since systematic studies are scarce. Our study aimed to analyze rates of HBV and HCV infection in people living with HIV attending centers of the public and private health system in Chile. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study including a public university hospital and a private health center in Santiago, Metropolitan Region in Chile. Serum samples were used to determine serological markers of hepatitis B (HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc total, HBeAg, anti-HBe) and anti-HCV. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were obtained from medical records. Results 399 patients were included (353 from public, 46 from private health center). Most (92.8%) were male, with a median age of 38.3 years; 99.4% acquired HIV through sexual contact

Evaluation of a novel antigen-based rapid detection test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 in respiratory samples

“…A study of the diagnostic accuracy of a rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection test compared to RT-PCR was conducted. Samples were derived from patients with respiratory symptoms and/or fever and an epidemiological risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection (travel or contact with a case), attending Clínica Alemana, a private medical centre in Santiago, Chile (Weitzel et al, 2020), during the first weeks of the outbreak in Chile. Specimens were obtained by trained personnel in a newly created 'respiratory emergency room' at the hospital and consisted of a nasopharyngeal (NP) and an oropharyngeal swab (OP), which were placed together in a 3-ml tube of universal transport medium (UTM-RT System; Copan Diagnostics, Murrieta, CA, USA).…”

HIV and Sexual Dysfunction in Men

“…Finally, the sexual dysfunction in HIV-infected men could be further enhanced by STDs recurrences, which are also directly related to infertility and subfertility [ 174 , 190 ]. Indeed, co-infection with multiple pathogens is common worldwide in people living with HIV [ 191 , 192 , 193 , 194 , 195 ]. Among these, several SDTs could lead to physical consequences, both anatomical, hormonal and neurological, which can further aggravate sexual dysfunction.…”

Study of Prevalence of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Other Opportunistic Coinfections in HIV-infected Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital of North India

“…Chronic viral hepatitis has emerged as an important cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV-positive patients resulting in an increase in inpatient healthcare utilization and an evolving discussion on the use of liver transplantation in these patients. 11 The prevalence of HBV and HCV coinfections in HIV has been variably reported in different studies. [12][13][14][15] The prevalence of HBV varies markedly among different HIV-infected population and geographical location is one of the major determinants of prevalence.…”