HIV-HBV Coinfection among Individuals Attending the ICTC of a Tertiary Care Hospital in West Bengal, India

Background. Hepatitis B and HIV infections are serious global public health problems. Many of the countries with high HIV burden are also affected by high prevalence of hepatitis B infection, leading to frequent HIV/HBV coinfection. Seroprevalence study is important to assess the magnitude and dynamics of disease transmission and to decide the prevention and control strategy. There is limited data of seroprevalence of HIV/HBV co-infection in West-Bengal, India. Objective. To determine the seroprevalence of HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen) positivity among HIV infected individuals attending an integrated counselling and testing centre (ICTC) attached to a tertiary care hospital in eastern India. Materials and Methods. Serum samples collected over a period of 6 months from subjects attending the ICTC were screened for anti-HIV antibodies by using rapid card tests as per the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) protocol. Serum samples found to be reactive for HIV antibodies were tested for HBsAg by rapid card test. Results. The seroprevalence of anti-HIV antibody was 17.3%. Among these samples 8.3% were positive for HBsAg. Conclusion. A high prevalence of HIV/HBV co-infection among individuals attending the ICTC in this centre is a cause for concern and warrants urgent intervention. 1. Introduction Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is prevalent throughout the world. Its prevalence is also high in India [1]. The modes of transmission of HBV and HIV are similar overtly by blood transfusion and covertly by percutaneous/permucosal routes. However the prevalence of HBV in the population varies according to the risk factors involved and the initial burden of infectious markers in the community. This may differ not only from country to country but also in different regions of the same country. Serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is a reliable marker of overt hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection [2]. In serum it is the first seromarker to indicate active HBV infection, either acute or chronic [2]. HBsAg serum levels result from a balance between virus biology and a host’s immune system as well as the indirect expression of transcriptionally active covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) rather than the product of the viral replication [3]. Worldwide over 2 billion people are infected with HBV and more than 350–400 million have chronic HBV infection [4]. India has been placed into the intermediate zone of prevalence of hepatitis B (2–7% prevalence rates) by WHO [5]. This infection is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, not only because of the