Hepatitis B and C infection in tuberculosis patients in the Hauts Bassins region of Burkina Faso, West Africa

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) and viral hepatitis B and C represent significant public health concerns. Co-infection with TB and hepatitis B and/or C results in significant complications, including suboptimal treatment outcomes in TB and the development of hepatitis induced by anti-TB drugs. At present, no data on these co-infections are available for Burkina Faso. This study investigates the epidemiology of these co-infections in TB patients in the Hauts-Bassins region of Burkina Faso. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in health facilities involved in the management of TB in the Hauts-Bassins region of Burkina Faso from October 2023 to June 2024. For each consenting TB patient, data were collected. A blood sample was obtained and analyzed for a range of infection markers (HBsAg, HBV DNA, anti-HCV antibodies, and HCV RNA) and liver enzymes (ALT and γ-GT). A total of 259 TB patients were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 39.7 ± 15.9 years. The overall prevalence of HBsAg was 10.03 % and 3.8 % for anti-HCV. Among the HBsAg-positive samples, HBV DNA was detected in all cases, with 68.2 % exhibiting a viral load exceeding 20,000 IU/mL. Elevated ALT was observed in 19.2 % of TB/HBsAg patients and in 30.0 % of TB/anti-HCV. About γ-GT, an elavated result was observed in 46.1 % of TB/HBsAg patients and 40.0 % of TB/anti-HCV patients. The results demonstrated a high prevalence of hepatitis B and intermediate exposure to HCV in TB patients. It is thus recommended that routine screening for these diseases be considered in TB patients.