High prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection amo

Authors: C A Blal S R L Passos C Horn I Georg M G BoneciniAlmeida V C Rolla L De Castro

Publish Date: 2004/12/23

Volume: 24, Issue: 1, Pages: 41-43

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Abstract

To determine the prevalence and exposure factors associated with hepatitis B infection in tuberculosis patients with and without HIV type 1 coinfection the presence of hepatitis B virus serological markers was investigated in a retrospective study The seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus in patients with tuberculosis only was 146 and in tuberculosis patients coinfected with HIV it increased to 358 In patients with HIV and tuberculosis coinfection homosexuality constituted the principal exposure factor while in tuberculosis patients without HIV a gradual increase in hepatitis B virus seroprevalence was noted along with increasing age The results demonstrate that hepatitis B infection is highly prevalent in tuberculosis patients in Brazil and suggest that a vaccination program for the general population should be considered in order to prevent further hepatitis B infectionsWe gratefully thank Dr CTV de Souza for collecting the patient data and Dr V de Souza Gouvea for her helpful suggestions regarding preparation of the manuscript We also thank Dr GJ Nuovo University Hospitals Columbus OH USA and Dr JL Vandeberg The Southwest National Primate Research Center San Antonio TX USA for Englishlanguage revision The present study was partially supported by Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and complies with the current laws of Brazil

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