Prevalência da infecção pelos Vírus da hepatite B e C entre indivíduos portadores do HIV-1 e/ou com SIDA/AIDS na cidade de Belém-PA

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 350 million persons are currently infected with Hepatitis B virus, 180 millions carry Hepatitis C virus and that approximately 40 millions are persistently infected with Human immunodeficiency virus 1. It is thought that two to four million of the HIV-1 infected persons are co-infected with HBV and that four to five millions carry also HCV. The present study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of HBV and HCV co-infections among persons who are HIV-1 infected and/or presenting AIDS, residing in Belem, among those attended in a Reference Unit (URE-DIPE) of the State Health Department. Serum samples were tested for the presence of HBV (HBsAg, HBeAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, anti-HBc/IgM and anti-HBe) and HCV (antibodies to HCV) infections using enzyme immuno assays. The population group involved 170 males (56.7%) and 130 females (43.3%), 30% of them without the first grade of education and a familial income of no more than three minimum wages. HIV-1/HBV co-infection was detected in 91 individuals (30.3%), five (1.7%) were HIV-1/HCV co-infected and six (2%) showed evidences for previous infections with the three agents. Vaccination with HBV was detected in seven individuals (2.7%). There was no statistical significance between the association of values of viral load and T CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte counts with antibodies to either HIV-1/HCV or HIV-1/HBV/HCV infected individuals. Statistical significance was shown to occur between T CD8+ lymphocyte counts and the presence of HIV-1/HBV co-infection.