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SERO-PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIGEN AMONG ADULT PATIENTS WITH CLINICAL FEATURES OF LIVER DISEASE IN FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTRE OWERRI.
Abstract
Hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection has been reported to be one of the etiological agents for hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study was therefore carried out to determine the sero-prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), a specific marker of HBV infection among adult patients with clinical features of liver disease in Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.
This study was a hospital-based cross sectional study carried out from February 2007 to June 2007. A total of 140 adult patients with clinical features of liver disease met the inclusion criteria and were consecutively selected for the study. The one hundred and forty patients for the study were made up of three groups: 44 patients with clinical features of hepatitis, 62 patients with clinical features of liver cirrhosis and 34 patients with clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma. These patients were drawn from the general outpatient and internal medicine departments of the hospital and were aged 15 to 80 years. They consisted of 85 males and 55 females. All the patients were screened for HBsAg after obtaining their consent using rapid qualitative immunochromatographic sero-diagnostic test kits. Data were collected using interviewer administered questionnaires and data analysis was done using software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The Chi-Square test was used to assess the significance of differences of categorical variables. Fisher’s exact test, Yates continuity correction and logistic regression analysis were employed where appropriate. In all cases, a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
The overall sero-positivity rate was 50.71%. The sero-positivity rates for the three groups of patients were: 38.64% for hepatitis, 45.16% for liver cirrhosis and 76.47% for hepatocellular carcinoma. The age group 21-30 years(p-value=0.048) and drivers(p-value=0.019) were significantly infected. Abdominal distension(86.43%) and ascites(67.14%) were the commonest symptom and sign of liver disease among the study population respectively. This study underscores high prevalence of HBV infection among the study population. Routine screening of adult patients with clinical features of liver disease for HBV infection is recommended. Vaccination programmes for persons at risk of HBV infection is advocated.
