Author(s)

M. O. Durowaye¹, S. K. Ernest², I. A. Ojuawo²

¹Department of Paediatrics, Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Nigeria.
²Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B and C viruses are endemic in sub- Saharan African countries including Nigeria. Researchers have studied the burden of co-infection of HIV with hepatitis B and hepatitis C but the risk factors and clinical presentation have not been much addressed especially in children. Methodology: This was a prospective cross sectional study that determined the prevalence, risk factors, clinical features, baseline CD4⁺ count, CD4⁺ percentage, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of newly diagnosed, HAART na?ve HIV co-infection among children who were managed at a Tertiary Hospital in Ilorin, Nigeria. Result: Of the 60 HIV- infected children recruited, 11.7% had HIV co-infection with HBV or HCV. Children with co-infec- tions (mean age 8.43 ± 2.37 years) were significantly older than their HIV mono-infected counterparts (mean age 5.25 ± 3.96 years) (p = 0.011). There was no significant difference between HIV monoinfection and HIV co-infection with respect to gender (p = 0.758), ethnicity (p = 0.707), religion of parents (p = 0.436), family type (p = 0.184), social class (p = 0.535), previous transfusion (p = 0.053), scarification (p = 0.612), female genital mutilation (p = 0.778), and sharing of clippers (p = 0.806). The mean BMI, immunological staging (p = 0.535), baseline ALT (p = 0.940), and mean baseline CD4⁺ count (p = 0.928) were comparable. However, the body mass index of HIV co-infec- ted children decreased with age up till age 10 years. Conclusion: There were no risk factors, nor clinical features predictive of co-infection identified in this study. Co-infection did not negatively impact baseline, CD4⁺ count and ALT.

Co-Infection, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV, HBV, HCV, Alanine Aminotransferase, ALT, Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, HAART, Monoinfection, CD4+, Risk Factors for Co-Infection, Transmission, Hepatitis B Surface Antigen, HBVsAg

Durowaye, M. , Ernest, S. and Ojuawo, I. (2016) Risk Factors, Clinical Features, Baseline Alanine Aminotransferase and CD4⁺ Count of Children with HIV Co-Infection with Hepatitis B and C at a Tertiary Hospital in Southwest Nigeria. International Journal of Clinical Medicine, 7, 280-291. doi: 10.4236/ijcm.2016.74030.