Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Patients with Leprosy.

Leprosy patients may present with immune system impairment and have a higher HBV seroprevalence, justifying the investigation of occult HBV infection in these individuals. The aim of this study is to verify the frequency and the clinical factors associated with occult HBV infection in leprosy patients. Between 2015 and 2016, leprosy patients from a Reference Center in Brazil were interviewed to assess clinical data. Blood samples were collected for the screening of HBV serological markers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Patients with negative HBsAg that had positive anti-HBc and/or anti-HBs were selected for HBV DNA detection by real-time PCR. SPSS was used for data analysis. Among 114 selected patients, six were identified with occult infection (5.3%), five of them with multibacillary leprosy. Three patients with occult infection had a history of a type 2 reaction (p = 0.072, OR = 4.97, 95% CI = 0.87-28.52). Only two patients with occult infection had isolated anti-HBc, while three had isolated anti-HBs, including those with the highest HBV DNA titers. In conclusion, in leprosy patients with negative HBsAg and positive anti-HBc and/or anti-HBs, occult HBV infection occurs in 5.3% and can be found even in patients with isolated anti-HBs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.