Arquivos de Oncologia Cirúrgica

First report of occult hepatitis B infection among ART naive HIV seropositive individuals in Maputo, Mozambique

Abstract

Awa Abdul Carimo

The prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Mozambique is one of the highest in the world, though in spite of this the prevalence of occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is unknown. The clinical impact of OBI is unclear, but it’s been related the increase of the risk of HBV transmission through blood transfusion, organ and bone marrow transplantation, HBV reactivation after immunosuppression and risk of progression to chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of OBI among antiretroviral (ART) naïve HIV-positive patients in Mozambique.