Seroepidemiology of hepatitis B virus infection among Chinese schizophrenia patients

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of HBsAg, HBsAb, coexistence of HBsAg and HBsAb, and the genotypic distribution of HBV in Chinese schizophrenia patients. Methodology: A total of 1,694 schizophrenia patients, 9-85 years of age, were recruited for the present study. HBsAg, HBsAb, and HBV DNA were detected with commercial methods. ALT, AST, γ-GT, TBIL, and IBIL were measured by an automatic biochemistry analyzer. All statistical analyses were performed with SPSS 13.0. Results: The seroprevalence of HBsAg and HBsAb in 1,649 schizophrenia patients was 11.0% and 54.6%, respectively. HBsAb seroprevalence significantly decreased with the duration of the disease (p = 0.0009). The lowest seroprevalence of HBsAg was determined in 9.4% of the patients who had had the illness for < 1 year, and then increased to 11.7%, 11.3% and 11.7% in the patients who had had the illness for 1-5 years, 6-10 years and > 10 years. HBsAg and HBsAb coexisted in 69 individuals, which comprised 4.2% of the total subjects, and in 38.1% of the HBsAg-positive patients. Additionally, HBV titers were quantified in 64 HBsAg-positive samples; the highest virus titer was 6.14×10 8 copies/mL, while 12 patients had less than 500 copies/mL. Moreover, among 48 HBV strains isolated from 62 HBsAg-positive samples, 33 and 15 strains belonged to genotypes C and B, respectively. Conclusion: Genotypes B and C HBV were the dominant genotypes distributed in schizophrenia patients, and the HBsAb seroprevalence significantly decreased with illness duration. Effective prevention strategies for against HBV transmission are required.

Serologic and molecular characteristics of hepatitis B virus infection in vaccinated schizophrenia patients in China

“…Recently, we reported that the seroprevalence of HBsAg was 11.0% in Chinese adult schizophrenia patients, compared with 7.18% in the general population [12]. Furthermore, although hepatitis B vaccination results in protection of a high proportion (95%) of infants, children, and young adults, the efficacy of hepatitis B vaccine in schizophrenia patients remains unclear.…”

Immune response to vaccination in adults with mental disorders: A systematic review

“…Schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders have been associated with higher detection rates of viral infection, including hepatitis B virus (HBV) ( Klinkenberg et al, 2003 ; Rosenberg et al, 2001 ; Zhu et al, 2015 ; Lluch and Miller, 2019 ), hepatitis C virus (HCV) ( Rosenberg et al, 2001 ; Lluch and Miller, 2019 ), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ( Rosenberg et al, 2001 ), which may be due to increased infection susceptibility and environmental risk factors ( Lluch and Miller, 2019 ). Schizophrenia has also been correlated with altered cytokine levels and inflammatory responses.…”

Hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus in patients with schizophrenia

“…It has increasingly been reported to be related to severe mental illness, [4] such as schizophrenia, which is a chronic psychiatric disorder characterized by cognitive impairment [5] . Several studies have investigated the prevalence of viral hepatitis, especially HBV and HCV, in patients with schizophrenia [6–11] . Hung et al [6] reported that the seroprevalence of HBV and anti-HCV surface antigens was 10.4% and 1.9%, respectively, among 590 patients with schizophrenia in Taiwan, whereas Sockalingam et al [10] found an HCV prevalence (antibody and viremia positivity) of 2.7% in 110 patients with schizophrenia in Canada.…”

“…[5] Several studies have investigated the prevalence of viral hepatitis, especially HBV and HCV, in patients with schizophrenia. [6][7][8][9][10][11] Hung et al [6] reported that the seroprevalence of HBV and anti-HCV surface antigens was 10.4% and 1.9%, respectively, among 590 patients with schizophrenia in Taiwan, whereas Sockalingam et al [10] found an HCV prevalence (antibody and viremia positivity) of 2.7% in 110 patients with schizophrenia in Canada. Patients with viral hepatitis, including HBV and HCV, have a high risk of liver cancer, especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).…”