Associantion between leprosy and hepatitis B infecion: a survey in Goiânia, Central Brazil Associação entre hanseniase e infecção pelo virus da hepatite B: estudo de prevalência realizado em Goiânia, Brasil Central

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Heitor Rosa, Ana Paula V.F. Costa, Maria Lúcia Ferraz, Suelene C. Pedroza, Ana Lúcia S.S. Andrade, Celina M.T. Martelli, Fábio Zicker
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 1992
• Subjects: Leprosy and Hepatitis B virus infection; Risk factors for Hepatitis B infection; Institutionalized leprosy patients; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic; Polo
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46651992000500008; https://doaj.org/article/c3df0282e02847f4a7077fba8c3bb289

This investigation presents the results of Hepatitis B virus screening among leprosy patients conducted in Central Brazil as a preliminary information for a HBV vaccination programme. The main objectives were to assess the seroprevalence of HBV serum markers among lepromatous patients and to analyse institutionalization as risk factor for HBV infection in this population. Two groups of lepromatous patients were studied, 83 outpatients and 171 institutionalized ones. Screening for HBV serum markers included the detection of HBsAg, anti-HBc by radioimmune assay (RIA). The prevalence of carrier state (HBsAg) was 4.8% and 8.8% among outpatients and institutionalized, respectively, (p>0.05). Seroprevalence of exposure (all markers) was statistically significant different between outpatients (16.9%) and institutionalized ones (50.3%). Institutionalized patients had an almost four fold risk of HBV infection when compared to the outpatients, and the highest risks were among patients with more than 21 years of residence in the colony, after adjusting for age and sex. Este estudo apresenta os resultados de investigação sorológica para o virus da hepatite B (VHB) entre pacientes hansenianos como etapa inicial para um programa de vacinação contra Hepatite B na cidade de Goiânia - Brasil Central. Os principais objetivos foram determinar a soroprevalência dos marcadores sorológicos para hepatite B entre pacientes com hanseníase do polo lepromatoso da doença, e avaliar a institucionalização como fator de risco para a infecção pelo VHB. Foram estudados 83 pacientes ambulatoriais e 171 pacientes institucionalizados e os marcadores testados foram AgHBs, anti-HBs e anti-HBc, utilizando-se a técnica de radioimuno ensaio. A prevalência de portadores virais (HBsAg) foi de 4,8% e 8,8% para os pacientes ambulatoriais e institucionalizados, respectivamente (P>0,05). A prevalência de exposição ao VHB (todos os marcadores) foi estatisticamente diferente entre os pacientes de ambulatório (16,9%) e os institucionalizados (50,5%). Os ...