HIV, Hepatitis B and C viruses’ coinfection among patients in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

INTRODUCTION Hepatitis co-infection with HIV is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. METHODS This cross sectional study was carried out among HIV positive patients and HIV negative blood donors, HIV infected patients were recruited from the antiretroviral therapy clinics of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, in Nigeria. The diagnosis of HIV infection among patients and predonation screening of control blood donors was carried out using Determine 1/2 screening rapid kits. (Inverness Medical, Japan). Reactive patients' sera were confirmed with Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (Elisa) based immuuocomb 1&11 comb firm kits (Orgenics, Israel). Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) were assayed using 4(th) generation Dialab Elisa kits for patients and control sera. RESULTS Dual presence of HBsAg and anti-HCV was observed in 4(3.9%) of HIV infected patients, while 29(28.4%) and 15(14.7%) were repeatedly reactive for HBsAg and anti-HCV respectively. HIV negative blood donor controls have HBsAg and anti-HCV prevalence of (22) 6.0% and (3) 0.8% respectively. The prevalence of hepatitis co infection is higher among the male study patients 16(50%) than the female 32 (45.7%).p > 0.001.Data analysis was done with statistical Package for social sciences (SPSS,9) and Chi square tests. CONCLUSION This study reveals a higher risk and prevalence of HBV and HCV co infections among HIV infected patients compared to HIV negative blood donors p < 0.001.