Prevalence of HIV-HBV coinfection and liver function profiles in HIV infected HAART active adult patients at two central hospitals in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Alfred Makura

Abstract

The instigation of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), there has been marked and sustained reduction in AIDS related mortalities as a result of wide spread availability of more effective, simpler and better tolerated regimens (1;2). Despite the dramatic increase in longevity of HAART active patients, liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) especially those associated with Hepatitis are becoming increasingly major causes of non-AIDS related mortality representing 10-15% of deaths in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients(3;4). Coinfection with HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) is now common due to shared routes of transimission of the estimated 40 million HIV infected people worldwide, 10% have chronic hepatitis B. (8). Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region most affected by HIV, accounting for 27, 4 million HIV positive people. In Zimbabwe 1.4million people are HIV positive and 750 000 are on highly active antiretroviral therapy. Considerable attention has been focused in administering HAART and effective management of patient, only limited data describes the prevalence of HIV-HBV coinfection and their liver function profiles in Zimbabwe. The study was to determine the prevalence of HBV/HIV coinfection, percentage of HAART active patients who were once exposed to HBV and to determine liver function profiles in HIV infected patients attending two OI clinics in Harare.