Hepatitis B virus screening frequency and real life data in immunosuppressive patients
Bahar Engin1, Süleyman Günay2, Ömer Burçak Binicier2, Gözde Derviş Hakim2, Coşkun Yıldız2, Zehra Betül Paköz2
1Tepecik Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, İç Hastalıkları Kliniği, İzmir, Türkiye
2Tepecik Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Gastroenteroloji Kliniği, İzmir, Türkiye
Keywords: Cytotoxic chemotherapy; Hepatitis B; immunosuppression; scanning; steroid.
Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to examine the ratio of hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening and appropriate treatment recommendation in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy.
Patients and methods: Between December 2015 and May 2016, we screened 445 patients who received different immunosuppressive therapies. We retrospectively examined the patients’ hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg), hepatitis B surface antigen (AntiHBs) and hepatitis B core protein antibody (AntiHBcIgG) screening ratios and the ratio of recommendation of prophylaxis or vaccination, according to the scan results prior to the therapy.
Results: While the HbsAg, AntiHBs and AntiHBcIgG values of 103 patients were fully screened, we found that 213 patients not to have been scanned at all. Fifty-eight patients did not have HBV and only eight patients were recommended vaccination. In AntiHBcIgG positive patients, only three out of 31 patients were recommended prophylaxis. We found that the ratio of screening for HBV and directing to appropriate prevention methods were low in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy.
Conclusion: It is among the proposed solutions that the associations dealing with hepatitis B virus treatment should be in close cooperation with associations that apply chemotherapy and biotherapy to organize joint training meetings and to raise awareness of HBV with these programs.