Hepatitis B and C Positivity in Various Categories of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Seropositive Individuals in a Regional STD Centre-an Eight-Year Evaluation of Trends and Risk Factors

Problem statement: Among the various infections whose incidence has increased since the advent of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C stand out clearly. This is so because the routes of transmission of these infections are essentially the same as those of HIV/AIDS, making co-infections a common occurrence. The risk of infection for Hepatitis B and C is several times more than it is for HIV/AIDS and the trends in incidence of hepatitis are changing over time, which is what prompted the following 8 year study. Approach: The study was carried out at a Regional STD Centre in Delhi, among various categories of HIV seropositive persons (patients with STDs, AIDS, Asymptomatic cases and contacts of HIV seropositives), who were tested for HBsAg and HCV antibodies using approved kits. Results: Of 3197 HIV sero-positive samples including males, females, children and transgenders, 1545 were tested for HBsAg and 1553 for HCV antibodies. Of these, 8.9% tested positive for HBsAg, 8.3% for HCV antibody and 0.4% for both. Hepatitis B co-infection was present in all categories of HIV seropositive patients. A large proportion of HBsAg positives were full blown AIDS cases, while HCV positivity was very common among IVDUs. The incidence of HBV and HCV cases over 8 years, seem to show a downward trend, the reasons for which are discussed. Conclusion: Although extensive sero-positivity data on Hepatitis B and C in HIV patients is available from all over the globe, studies involving the various categories of HIV sero-positive cases, especially from developing countries, are scarce. Detecting the presence of Hepatitis B and C markers in HIV positive individuals will not only help formulate better treatment protocols, but also improve prognosis, survival and management of these patients and fuel adequate measures for appropriate allocation of resources in eliminating HBV and HCV infections too.

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