Seroprevalance of Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Infections in Human Immunodefi ciency Virus-Infected Patients

Objective: To investigate the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected cases, and to define any relationship between modes of transmission, sexual preference, international travel history, occupation and the frequency. Methods: In this study, 70 (56 males, 14 females) HIV infected patients who were admitted to the Clinic of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology between 1985-2007, were retrospectively evaluated for HBV or HCV infection. Results: In 10 (14.2%) cases HBV infection, in 9 (12.8%) cases HCV infection and in 4 (5.7%) cases HBV and HCV infections were detected. Modes of transmission of HIV infection were sexual contact in 95.7%, parenteral contact in 4.3% and sexual and parenteral contact in 14.2% of the cases. Although in patients with sexual contact as the only the mode of HIV transmission, HBV and HCV infection prevalence were 14% and 8.9%, respectively, in patients with sexual and parenteral contact as the mode of HIV transmission, HBV infection prevalence was 20% and HCV infection prevalence was 40%. Seroprevalence of HBV and HCV was higher than the normal population in HIV infected cases. When HCV- infected cases were compared to cases without HCV infection, the ratio of intravenous drug use was significantly higher in HCV- infected cases. Conclusions: Seroprevalences of HBV and HCV were high in HIV-infected cases. The course and treatment of chronic hepatitis differ in these cases, and consequently all patients with HIV infection should be screened for HBV and HCV.