Laboratory Assessment of Viral Hepatitis B Prevalence, Including Occult Viral Hepatitis B, Among People Living With Hiv and General Population in the Far Eastern Federal District

Abstract

Viral hepatitis B remains a pressing issue of the healthcare system. A lot of attention is paid to evaluate the disease spread including HBsAg-negative form of viral hepatitis B. Biological material (blood serum and plasma) was obtained from 450 HIV-positive patients and 518 people without HIV-infection. Biological material was tested for the presence of HBsAg, antibodies to HBcAg (anti-HBc) (ELISA) and HBV DNA (RT-PCR). HBsAg and anti-HBc detection rates among people living with HIV (5.11% and 33.11% respectively) were higher by 5.3 and 2.4 times compared to non-infected people (0.96% и 13.71% respectively). HBsAg among HIV-infected men (5.79%) was detected more frequently compared to men without р<0,001). At the same time no statistically significant differences (p=0.09) were found between the prevalence of HBsAg among HIV-infected women (4.19%) and women of the control group (1.58%). A tendency towards an increase of frequency of anti-HBc registration with age was observed among apparently healthy individuals and highest rates were detected among people aged 50 years or older (18-29 years of age -2.31%; 30-39 years of age -16.41%; 40-49 years of age -14.88%; aged 50 years or older -20.86%). Highest anti-HBc detection rates among HIV-positive individuals were revealed among people of 30-39 and 40-49 years of age (18-29 years of age -1.69%; 30-39 years of age -39.15%; 40-49 years of age -38.13%; aged 50 years or older -33.33%). Laboratory evidence of HBsAg-negative hepatitis B among people living with HIV were detected in 2.01% of the survey group and among 1.41% of the control group (р>0,05). The research established that people living with HIV are at risk of acquiring HBV compared to apparently healthy people. However in order to confirm the revealed differences in the detection rate of HBsAg-negative hepatitis B between HIV-positive group and the control group the number of surveyed people should be increased.