hepatitis B

HBV Burden Is High Among People Living with HIV

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) have a high global burden of hepatitis B infection (HBV), according to the results of a recent study.

The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis utilizing data from 358 studies published between January 1990 and December 2017. The 834,544 PLWH included had been diagnosed through the use of serological assays for hepatitis B surface antigen.

The results indicated that the pooled prevalence of HBV infection was 8.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.9%–8.8%), of which 26.8% (95% CI, 22.0%–31.9%) was positive to hepatitis B e antigen.

HBV prevalence differed among regions, including:

  • West and Central Africa, 12.4% (11.0%–13.8%)
  • Middle East and North Africa, 9.9% (6.0%–14.6%)
  • Asia and the Pacific, 9.8% (8.7%–11.0%)
  • Eastern and Southern Africa, 7.4% (6.4%–8.4%)
  • Western and Central Europe and North America, 6.0% (5.5%–6.7%)
  • Latin America and the Caribbean, 5.1% (4.2%–6.2%).

 

Highly developed countries had a prevalence of 6.6%, compared with 10.4% in low-developed countries. The prevalence increased from 7.3% in countries with a HIV prevalence ≤1% to 9.7%.  in countries with a HIV prevalence >1%.

The researchers estimated that 73.8% of the 3,136,5000 cases of HBC in PLWH were from sub-Saharan Africa and 17.1% were from Asia and the Pacific.

“This study suggests a high burden of HBV infection in PLWH, with disparities according to region, level of development, and country HIV prevalence,” the study authors concluded.

 

—Leigh Precopio

 

Reference:

Leumi S, Bigna JJ, Amougou MA, Ngouo A, Nyaga UF, Noubiap JJ. Global burden of hepatitis B infection in people living with human immunodeficiency virus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Infect Dis. 2020; 71(11): 2799-2806. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciz1170