HBcAb Positivity Increases the Risk of Severe Hepatic Fibrosis Development in HIV/HCV-Positive Subjects From the ICONA Italian Cohort of HIV-Infected Patients.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of anti-HBc (HBcAb) positivity on the progression of liver fibrosis (Fibrosis-4 score >3.25) in the Italian cohort of HIV-infected individuals naïve to antiretroviral treatment (ICONA).

METHODS:

All patients with FIB-4 <3.25 at baseline were evaluated prospectively: 6966 people with HIV (PWH) were screened and classified based on hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) serology.

RESULTS:

Patients who were HBcAb+/HCV-/HBs antigen (HBsAg)- and HCV+/HBcAb+/HBsAg- or HBsAg+/HBcAb+/HCV- had CD4+ cell counts below the nadir and significantly higher prevalence of AIDS diagnosis at baseline than the other groups (P < .0001). A Cox regression model adjusted for age, HIV transmission mode, country of birth, and alcohol consumption showed a higher relative risk (HR) of progression to FIB-4 >3.25 in HCV+/HBcAb+/HBsAg- patients (HR, 7.2; 95% CI, 3 8-13.64).

CONCLUSIONS:

HBcAb+ contributes to liver damage in HIV+/HCV+/HBcAb+/HBsAg- subjects. A careful monitoring for signs of previous HBV infection is needed in this kind of patients.

• Authors: Vincenzo Malagnino, Carlotta Cerva, Antonella Cingolani, Francesca Ceccherini-Silberstein, Alessandra Vergori, Gianluca Cuomo, Carlo Federico Perno, Massimo Puoti, Antonella d'Arminio Monforte, Alessandro Cozzi-Lepri, Massimo Andreoni, Loredana Sarmati, ICONA Foundation Study Group
• Journal: Open forum infectious diseases (Open Forum Infect Dis) Vol. 8 Issue 1 Pg. ofaa566 (Jan 2021) ISSN: 2328-8957 [Print] United States
• PMID: 33447635 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.