• DOI:10.4103/1119-3077.116908
• Corpus ID: 42216473

Hepatic transaminase and alkaline phosphatase enzyme levels in HIV/HBV co-infected and HIV mono-infected patients in Maiduguri, Nigeria.

@article{Goni2013HepaticTA,
  title={Hepatic transaminase and alkaline phosphatase enzyme levels in HIV/HBV co-infected and HIV mono-infected patients in Maiduguri, Nigeria.},
  author={Baba Waru Goni and Haruna Yusuph and S. K. Mustapha and Mohammed Sahabi and Sabiu Abdu Gwalabe and Abdulrahman Tahir and Bukar Bakki and Ibrahim Musa Kida},
  journal={Nigerian journal of clinical practice},
  year={2013},
  volume={16 4},
  pages={
          530-4
        }
}

• B. Goni, H. Yusuph, +5 authors I. Kida
• Published 1 October 2013
• Biology, Medicine
• Nigerian journal of clinical practice

BACKGROUND
Studies have shown that HIV-HBV co-infected patients have an increased risk of liver-related morbidity and mortality compared to their HIV-mono-infected counterparts. Furthermore, it has been reported that HIV-HBV co-infected patients have a significantly high incidence of drug-induced hepatotoxicity following commencement of HAART than HIV-mono-infected patients.

OBJECTIVES
To compare the levels of aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALKPO 4 ) enzyme levels between HAART naïve HIV-HBV co-infected patients and their HIV-mono-infected counterparts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A cross-sectional descriptive study in which 142 newly diagnosed HIV/HBV co-infected and HIV mono-infected adults were investigated for alkaline aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase enzyme levels.

RESULTS
The study subjects comprised of 80 (56.3%) females and 62 (46.7%) males. The age range of the study population was 15-65 years. The mean ages of male and female subjects were 45.5 ± 10.5 years and 39.1 ± 7.5 years respectively ( P < 0.05). Sixty-three (44.4%) study subjects were HIV/HBV co-infected while 79 (55.6%) were HIV mono-infected. The mean ALT enzyme level of HIV/HBV co-infected subjects was significantly higher than that of HIV mono-infected ones i.e., 42.12 IU/l vs. 27.86 IU/l, ( P = 0.038). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean AST (30.14 IU/l vs. 29.09 IU/l, P = 0.893) and ALKPO 4 (55.86 IU/l vs. 60.97 IU/l, P = 0.205) enzyme levels between HIV-HBV co-infected and HIV mono-infected subjects albeit the two enzymes were moderately elevated in both categories of subjects.

CONCLUSION
The significantly elevated ALT enzyme levels amongst HIV-HBV co-infected subjects suggest that HIV-HBV co-infected patients may have an increased risk of liver-related morbidity and mortality than their HIV mono-infected counterparts. Screening for serological markers of chronic HBV infection, as well as hepatic transaminase enzyme levels in all newly diagnosed HIV-positive patients is therefore recommended before commencement of HAART.