Hepatitis B and C viral coinfections and their association with HIV viral load suppression among HIV-1 infected patients on ART at Mekelle hospital, northern Ethiopia

• Published in: AIDS research and therapy 2022-12, Vol.19 (1), p.57-57, Article 57
• Main Authors: Teame, Gebrecherkos, Gebreyesus, Araya, Tsegay, Ephrem, Gebretsadik, Mulu, Adane, Kelemework
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Analysis; Antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral therapy; Antiviral agents; Care and treatment; Chronic infection; Coinfection - epidemiology; Comorbidity; Diagnosis; Disease prevention; Dosage and administration; Enzymes; Ethiopia - epidemiology; Gender; HBV; HCV; Health aspects; Hepacivirus - genetics; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B - epidemiology; Hepatitis B surface antigen; Hepatitis B virus - genetics; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatitis, Viral; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; HIV (Viruses); HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV patients; HIV Seropositivity; HIV testing; HIV-1; Hospitals; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Laboratories; Load distribution; Measurement; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Multivariate analysis; Polymerase chain reaction; Prevention; Public health; Reverse transcription; Sample size; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serology; Sexual partners; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sorbents; STD; Systematic review; Vaccination; Viral infections; Viral Load; Viral load suppression; Viremia; Viruses
• ISSN: 1742-6405; 1742-6405
• DOI: 10.1186/s12981-022-00479-8

Although Ethiopia is endemic to viral hepatitis and HIV, data that could guide population-specific interventions are limited. In this study, we determined the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) and assessed their associations with HIV-1 viral load suppression among HIV-1 infected patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) at Mekelle hospital in northern Ethiopia. Between February and April 2020, blood samples were collected from 439 participants. Samples were screened for HBsAg and anti-HCV on the immunochromatographic test and confirmed using the Enzyme-Linked Immuno-sorbent assay (Beijing Wantai Co. China). HIV-1 viral load was quantified using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on the Abbott platform. Binary and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify potential predictors. Overall, 10% (44/439) and 3.6% (16/439) of the participants were coinfected with HBV and HCV, respectively. In a multivariate analysis, being illiterate (AOR = 6.57; 95% CI 1.04-41.6), and having a history of sexually transmitted infections (AOR = 4.44; 95% CI 1.31-15.0) and multiple sexual partners (AOR = 29.9; 95% CI 7.82-114.8) were associated with HBV infection. On the other hand, participants with a history of chronic non-communicable diseases (AOR = 10.6, 95% CI 1.61-70.1), and those reporting a history of sexually transmitted infections (AOR = 5.21, 95% CI 1.39-19.5) were more likely to be infected with HCV. In further analysis, HCV infection status was significantly associated with decreased viral load suppression rate (AOR = 7.14; 95% CI 2.18-23.3) whereas no significant association was observed with the HBV infection. The HBV coinfection rate in our study is high and, as per WHO's standard, corresponds to a hyperendemic level. The HCV coinfection rate is also substantially high and urges attention given its influence on the viral load suppression of HIV patients on ART at our study site. Our findings suggest the need to adopt universal screening and vaccination of people with HIV against HBV and screening for HCV at our study site and in Ethiopia at large, which contributes to Ethiopia's progress towards the 2030 global target of reducing the HBV infection.