02160nas a2200373   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001500059653001000074653001700084653001100101653001600112653003800128653001100166653001600177653002700193653003300220653002200253653001100275653001200286653000900298653001600307653001600323100001400339700001100353700002000364700001200384700002300396245006000419300000900479490000700488520127700495022001401772       2014                            d  c2014 Jan-Feb10aAdolescent10aAdult10aBlood Donors10aBrazil10aCoinfection10aEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay10aFemale10aHepatitis B10aHepatitis B Antibodies10aHepatitis B Surface Antigens10aHepatitis B virus10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aYoung Adult1 aLeitão C1 aUeda D1 aMoraes Braga AC1 aBoldt A1 aMessias-Reason LJT00aLeprosy and hepatitis B coinfection in southern Brazil.  a8-120 v183 a<p>To investigate the association of leprosy with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, as yet unknown for South Brazil, we assessed hepatitis B virus coinfection in 199 South Brazilian leprosy patients (119 lepromatous, 15 tuberculoid, 30 borderline, 12 undetermined and 23 unspecified) and in 681 matched blood donors by screening for the hepatitis B virus markers HBSAg and anti-HBc, using ELISA. Positive samples were retested and anti-HBc+ only samples were tested for the hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs). There was a strong association between leprosy and hepatitis B virus infection (OR=9.8, 95% CI=6.4-14.7; p=0.004 · E(-30)), as well as an association between HBV infection and lepromatous leprosy, compared to other forms (OR=2.4, 95% CI=1.2-4.8; p=0.017). We also found that confinement due to leprosy was associated with hepatitis B virus infection (OR=3.9, 95% CI=2.1-7.4; p=0.015 · E(-3)). Leprosy patients are susceptible to develop hepatitis B virus infection, especially lepromatous. Institutionalized patients, who probably present a stronger Th2 response, have higher risk of being exposed to hepatitis B virus. This clearly emphasizes the need for special care to leprosy patients in preventing hepatitis B virus coinfection in South Brazil.</p>  a1678-4391