HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection increases HIV and HBV replication, hepatitis flares, and risk of progression to chronic HBV infection, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. HIV and HBV coinfection decreases frequency of hepatitis Be antibody (anti-HBe) and hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) seroconversion, increases risk of antiretroviral therapy-related hepatotoxicity, and ...

The seroprevalence of hepatitis B was investigated in over 12,000 subjects in six countries of Latin America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Venezuela. Each study population was stratified according to age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were measured in order to determine hepatitis B infection. The highest...

Background and Objectives: Vaccination is the major strategy to protect nurses against infection with hepatitis B virus. However, some nurses do not produce sufficient amount of anti-HBsAg antibody required for immunity against infection. Chronic occupational stress has been proposed as a risk factor to humoral immunity. Given that nursing staff is exposed to occupational stress risk, this stud...

Although an estimated 1 million persons in the United States are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus, the prevalence of hepatitis B has declined since the implementation of a national vaccination program. Hepatitis B virus is transmitted in blood and secretions. Acute infection may cause nonspecific symptoms, such as fatigue, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, low-grade fe...

BACKGROUND Infections contracted during infancy or childhood are responsible for 42 percent of case of chronic hepatitis B disease, and in 25 percent or more these infections result in death from hepatoma or cirrhosis during adulthood. Hepatitis B vaccine and immune globulin provide the means of preventing the disease and its sequelae, but their proper use requires clinical strategies for decid...

The risk of contracting HBV by health care workers (HCW) is four-times greater than that of general adult population. Studies have demonstrated that vaccine-induced protection persists at least 11 years. High risk groups such as HCWs should be monitored and receive a booster vaccination if their anti-HBsAb levels decrease below 10 mIU/mL. In view of the above this study was undertaken to assess...