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. 2018 Jan 10;13(1):e0190775.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190775. eCollection 2018.

First report of occult hepatitis B infection among ART naïve HIV seropositive individuals in Maputo, Mozambique

Awa Abdul Carimo  1 , Eduardo Samo Gudo  2 , Cremildo Maueia  2 , Nédio Mabunda  2 , Lúcia Chambal  1 , Adolfo Vubil  2 , Ana Flora  2 , Francisco Antunes  3 , Nilesh Bhatt  2
Affiliations

First report of occult hepatitis B infection among ART naïve HIV seropositive individuals in Maputo, Mozambique

Awa Abdul Carimo et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Mozambique is one of the highest in the world, though in spite of this the prevalence of occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is unknown.

Objectives: This study was conducted with the aim to investigate the prevalence of OBI and frequency of isolated hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc alone) among antiretroviral (ART) naïve HIV-positive patients in Mozambique.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two health facilities within Maputo city. All ART-naive HIV seropositive patients attending outpatient clinics between June and October 2012 were consecutively enrolled. Blood samples were drawn from each participant and used for serological measurement of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), antibodies against HBV surface antigen (anti-HBs) and antibodies against core antigen (anti-HBc) using ELISA. Quantification of HBV DNA was performed by real time PCR. A questionnaire was used to obtain demographics and clinical data.

Results: Of the 518 ART-naive HIV-positive subjects enrolled in the study, 90.9% (471/518) were HBsAg negative. Among HBsAg negative, 45.2% (213/471) had isolated anti-HBc antibodies, and the frequency of OBI among patients with anti-HBc alone was 8.3% (17/206). OBI was not correlated either with CD4+ T cells count or transaminases levels. A total of 11.8% of patients with OBI presented elevated HBV DNA level. Frequency of individuals with APRI score > 2 and FIB-4 score > 3.25 was higher in patients with OBI as compared not exposed, immune and anti-HBc alone patients.

Conclusion: Our data demonstrate for the first time that OBI is prevalent among HIV patients in Mozambique, and will be missed using the commonly available serological assays that measures HBsAg.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Flowchart of recruitment and testing of study participants.
anti-HBc- − antibody against HBV core antigen. anti-HBs- − antibody against HBV surface antigen. DNA–desoxirribonucleic acid. HBsAg- HBV surface antigen. HBV–hepatitis B virus. HIV–human immunodeficiency virus. OBI- occult hepatitis B virus infection.
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