Serological Evidence of HIV/HBV Co-infection among HIV-infected patients in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria

Research suggests that HIV-infected individuals who have also been co-infected with HBV face a greater risk of HIV progression. Hepatitis B and HIV infections pose serious public health challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the possible HBV co-infection with the socio-demographic traits of HIV-infected individuals attending the HIV clinic at a referral specialist mission hospital in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria. Two hundred and twenty (220) HIV-infected individuals gave consent to participate in the study. Between March 2022 and October 2022, blood samples (about 5ml) were aseptically collected during routine investigations into sterile EDTA bottles, and plasma samples were obtained by centrifugation. These samples were tested for HBsAg using a Monolisa HBsAg ULTRA kit (Bio-Rad, USA). CD4 counts were measured using the Partec CyFlow. Plasma viral loads (PVL) were also determined using the Abbott Real-Time HIV-1 Assay US protocol. HIV/HBV co-infection was 40.9%. The results showed that most (39.7%) study participants co-infected with HBV had a CD4 cell count of 350 cells/µl. The virological assay revealed that the highest HBsAg seroprevalence was detected in the study participants whose viral loads were between 40 and 1000µl (61.9%). The majority of the study participants were female HIV patients (74.5%), while those co-infected with HBV were mainly male patients (48.2%). HIV-positive individuals aged 18-30 (53.3%) were mostly affected. None of the socio-demographic variables tested was significantly associated with HBV in HIV-infected patients in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria. This study showed a high HIV/HBV co-infection in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria.