George A Yendewa1, Sulaiman Lakoh2, Sahr A Yendewa3, Khadijah Bangura4, Hannah Lawrence4, Lucia Patiño5, Darlinda F Jiba4, Alren O Vandy4, Mariama J S Murray4, Samuel P Massaquoi4, Gibrilla F Deen2, Foday Sahr3, Christopher J Hoffmann6, Jeffrey M Jacobson7, Eva Poveda5, Antonio Aguilera8, Robert A Salata7. 1. Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: gay7@case.edu. 2. College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone; Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone. 3. College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone. 4. Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone. 5. Group of Virology and Pathogenesis, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur)-Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo, SERGAS-UVigo, Spain. 6. Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. 7. Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA. 8. Department of Microbiology, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario Santiago and University of Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of serological markers of HBV and endemic acute and chronic infections (HAV, HCV, CMV, HTLV-1/2 and syphilis) in HIV-infected children, adolescents and pregnant women in Sierra Leone. METHOD: We conducted a cross-sectional study at the national children's and women's hospitals in Freetown. Logistic regression was used to assess predictors of HBsAg positivity. RESULTS: 183 HIV-infected participants were enrolled, comprising children (n = 88), adolescents (n = 47) and pregnant women (n = 48). All participants (100%) were CMV IgG-positive, while 56.8%, 93.6% and 100% of children, adolescents and pregnant women, respectively, were HAV IgG-positive. The prevalence of HCV, HTLV-1/2 and syphilis were <4%. HBV markers were distributed as follows-children: HBsAg (2.3%), HBeAg (0%), anti-HBc (5.7%); adolescents: HBsAg (17.0%), HBeAg (6.4%), anti-HBc (27.7%); and pregnant women: HBsAg (18.8%), HBeAg (4.2%), anti-HBc (77.1%). Age >10 years, i.e., being born pre-2009 before implementation of routine hepatitis B immunization (aOR 5.05 [1.18-21.28]; p = 0.029) and CD4 count <350 cells/mm3 (aOR 3.97 [1.07-14.71]; p = 0.039) predicted HBsAg positivity. CONCLUSION: A high burden of chronic HBV and other endemic infections was observed among HIV-infected patients born pre-2009 before implementation of routine HBV immunization in Sierra Leone, warranting targeted screening and immunization of this high-risk population.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of serological markers of HBV and endemic acute and chronic infections (HAV, HCV, CMV, HTLV-1/2 and syphilis) in HIV-infected children, adolescents and pregnant women in Sierra Leone. METHOD: We conducted a cross-sectional study at the national children's and women's hospitals in Freetown. Logistic regression was used to assess predictors of HBsAg positivity. RESULTS: 183 HIV-infected participants were enrolled, comprising children (n = 88), adolescents (n = 47) and pregnant women (n = 48). All participants (100%) were CMV IgG-positive, while 56.8%, 93.6% and 100% of children, adolescents and pregnant women, respectively, were HAV IgG-positive. The prevalence of HCV, HTLV-1/2 and syphilis were <4%. HBV markers were distributed as follows-children: HBsAg (2.3%), HBeAg (0%), anti-HBc (5.7%); adolescents: HBsAg (17.0%), HBeAg (6.4%), anti-HBc (27.7%); and pregnant women: HBsAg (18.8%), HBeAg (4.2%), anti-HBc (77.1%). Age >10 years, i.e., being born pre-2009 before implementation of routine hepatitis B immunization (aOR 5.05 [1.18-21.28]; p = 0.029) and CD4 count <350 cells/mm3 (aOR 3.97 [1.07-14.71]; p = 0.039) predicted HBsAg positivity. CONCLUSION: A high burden of chronic HBV and other endemic infections was observed among HIV-infected patients born pre-2009 before implementation of routine HBV immunization in Sierra Leone, warranting targeted screening and immunization of this high-risk population.
Authors: George A Yendewa; Sulaiman Lakoh; Darlinda F Jiba; Sahr A Yendewa; Umu Barrie; Gibrilla F Deen; Mohamed Samai; Jeffrey M Jacobson; Foday Sahr; Robert A Salata Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2022-06-16 Impact factor: 4.964
Authors: George A Yendewa; Sulaiman Lakoh; Sahr A Yendewa; Khadijah Bangura; Andrés Tabernilla; Lucia Patiño; Darlinda F Jiba; Alren O Vandy; Samuel P Massaquoi; Nuno S Osório; Gibrilla F Deen; Foday Sahr; Robert A Salata; Eva Poveda Journal: Genes (Basel) Date: 2021-08-26 Impact factor: 4.096