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Open AccessArticle
Prevalence of HTLV-1 and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Positivity Among MSM Attending a Large HIV Treatment Centre in Trinidad
by
Robert Jeffrey Edwards
Robert Jeffrey Edwards *,
Selena Todd
Selena Todd ,
Jonathan Edwards
Jonathan Edwards
,
Noreen Jack
Noreen Jack and
Gregory Boyce
Gregory Boyce
Medical Research Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago, 7 Queen’s Part E, Port-of-Spain 150123, Trinidad and Tobago
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Viruses 2024, 16(7), 1169; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16071169 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 15 June 2024
/
Revised: 17 July 2024
/
Accepted: 19 July 2024
/
Published: 20 July 2024
Abstract
HIV-1, Hepatitis B and HTLV-1 have similar risk factors and shared routes of transmission and MSM are disproportionately affected by HIV. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of HTLV-1 and HBsAg positivity at initial enrolment among MSM attending a large HIV Clinic in Trinidad. Chart reviews were conducted between 2 and 15 January 2024, among self-identified MSM and a comparative group of randomly selected self-identified heterosexual males where sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected and analysed using SPSS Version 25. During the period April 2002–October 31, 2023, in total there were 10,424 patients registered at the clinic, of whom 1255 (12.0%) were self-identified MSM, with an age range of 19–85 years and a median age of 40 years. There were 1822 randomly selected heterosexual males, with an age range of 18–94 years old and a median age of 52 years. Among the MSM, there were 21 (1.67%) patients who were HIV-1/HTLV-1-coinfected, 64 (5.10%) who were HIV-1/HBsAg-coinfected and two (0.16%) who were coinfected with all three viruses (HIV-1/HTLV-1/HBsAg) as compared to 47 ((2.58%) HIV-1/HTLV-1-coinfected (p = 0.12), 69 (3.79%) HIV-1/HBsAg-coinfected (p = 0.10) and three (0.16%) patients coinfected with all three viruses among the heterosexual males. There were no patients with HTLV-1-related diseases among the HIV-1/HTLV-1-coinfected patients and there were no deaths from chronic liver disease in patients coinfected with HIV-1/HBsAg. Despite the availability of an efficacious vaccine, there is a prevalence of hepatitis B of 5.1% among MSM attending the HIV Clinic in Trinidad; therefore, programmes to increase health literacy, screening and immunization are urgently needed.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Edwards, R.J.; Todd, S.; Edwards, J.; Jack, N.; Boyce, G.
Prevalence of HTLV-1 and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Positivity Among MSM Attending a Large HIV Treatment Centre in Trinidad. Viruses 2024, 16, 1169.
https://doi.org/10.3390/v16071169
AMA Style
Edwards RJ, Todd S, Edwards J, Jack N, Boyce G.
Prevalence of HTLV-1 and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Positivity Among MSM Attending a Large HIV Treatment Centre in Trinidad. Viruses. 2024; 16(7):1169.
https://doi.org/10.3390/v16071169
Chicago/Turabian Style
Edwards, Robert Jeffrey, Selena Todd, Jonathan Edwards, Noreen Jack, and Gregory Boyce.
2024. "Prevalence of HTLV-1 and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Positivity Among MSM Attending a Large HIV Treatment Centre in Trinidad" Viruses 16, no. 7: 1169.
https://doi.org/10.3390/v16071169
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