The Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A in Patients with Positive Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) can have severe manifestations in adult patients with other liver diseases, particularly in those infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study aimed to measure immunity against HAV in HIV-positive individuals to determine the necessity of vaccination against HAV in this population.

This cross-sectional study investigated 171 HIV-positive patients aged 18 years or older who were tested for serum IgG anti-viral hepatitis A antibody. The prevalence and its determinants were analyzed based on patient data.

The average age of the patients was 44.2 years old. The prevalence of HAV antibody positivity was 97.7%. The prevalence was higher in patients older than 30 years. There was a close association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (P = 0.002). There were no significant correlations between antibody levels and sex, marital status, employment status, education level, economic status, smoking status, drug use status, and physical activity level. The mean and median CD4 + counts in patients with positive (reactive) antibody (Ab) levels were 458 and 404 ± 294, respectively, while the mean and median CD4 + counts in patients with non-reactive antibody levels were 806 and 737 ± 137, respectively, in those who tested negative for anti-HAV Ab (P = 0.05).

The prevalence of anti-hepatitis A IgG antibodies in people with HIV was very high in Shiraz. There is an increasing trend in the number of older patients and those with HCV infections. The negative association with CD4 was borderline in this study, which needs to be confirmed in larger groups.