Prevalence of hepatitis B e antigenemia in Bahraini hepatitis B patients: A retrospective, single‐center study

• Published in: JGH open Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 337 - 342
• Main Authors: Abdulla, Maheeba, Ghuloom, Mohamed, Nass, Hafsa, Mohammed, Nafeesa, Farid, Eman, ALQamish, Jehad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd 01-03-2021; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antigens; Bahrain; comorbidities; Creatinine; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Disease control; DNA; Hepatitis B; hepatitis B e antigen; hepatocellular carcinoma; HIV; Hospitals; Human immunodeficiency virus; Immunoglobulins; Infections; Laboratories; laboratory; Liver cancer; liver transplant; Liver transplants; Original; Phosphatase; radiology; Transplants & implants; Virology; Bahrain; comorbidities; hepatitis B; laboratory; radiology; Bahrain; liver transplant; hepatitis B e antigen; hepatocellular carcinoma
• ISSN: 2397-9070; 2397-9070
• DOI: 10.1002/jgh3.12494

Background and Aim
Hepatitis B e (HBe) antigen (HBeAg) is commonly encountered among hepatitis B patients and is indicative of active infection. There is a lack of data in the literature about the prevalence of HBeAg among hepatitis B patients in Bahrain and its impact on the disease. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of HBeAg among a sample of hepatitis B patients in Bahrain and to analyze their associated laboratory profile, radiological characteristics, comorbidities, and complications.
Methods
This was a retrospective record‐review study conducted on patients' records at Salmaniya Medical Complex hospital in Bahrain during the period of 2011–2016. All records of hepatitis B patients who had HBeAg tests performed were included in this study.
Results
Of 323 patients recruited, 18.9% had positive HBeAg. The prevalence of anti‐HBe antibodies and hepatitis B core immunoglobulin G (HBc IgG) differed significantly between patients with positive and negative HBeAg (P < 0.001, P = 0.026, respectively). Alanine transferase and gamma‐glutamyl transferase were significantly higher among patients with positive HBeAg (P = 0.017, P = 0.016, respectively). There was no significant difference with regard to the prevalence of hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver transplantation between HBe‐positive and ‐negative patients (P ≥ 0.05).
Conclusion
HBeAg is prevalent among hepatitis B patients in Bahrain and is associated with a significantly different laboratory profile.