Risk of Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation in COVID-19 Patients Receiving Immunosuppressive Treatment: A Prospective Study.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the risk of hepatitis B virus reactivation (HBVr) in COVID-19 patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment, which has been insufficiently studied to date. Secondarily, we aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of HBV infection in COVID-19 patients. Methods: We performed HBV screening on all Romanian adults hospitalized in four COVID-19 wards between October 2021 and September 2022. We enrolled patients with positive hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) without protective hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs), HBV treatment, or baseline immunosuppressive conditions, and we conducted a virological follow-up on these patients at 3 months. Results: We identified 333/835 (39.9%) anti-HBc-positive patients. Follow-up was performed f

SUBMITTER: Mihai N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11508539 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature