Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen and Liver Function Tests among Adolescents in Abakaliki, South Eastern Nigeria

Of the 785 apparently healthy adolescents, 386 (49.2%) males and 399 (50.8%) females (mean age, 15.6 ± 2.3 years) screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using a third generation enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method, 32 (4.1%) were seropositive. Although, males and females did not differ significantly in HBsAg seropositivity (17 vs. 15; 95%CI: -0.025-0.065) more infections were found in patients from lower- than middle-/or and upper- socioeconomic classes (p < 0.05). The major routes of HBV transmission in this population were unsafe injection (28.1%; 95%CI; 0.03-0.15), tribal marks/circumcision/scarification (12.5%; 95%CI; 0.00-0.08) and blood/blood products transfusions (6.3%; 95%CI; -0.04-0.28) while 53.1% (95%CI; 0.02-0.04) of HBV infections have no identifiable mode of transmission. While HBsAg seropositive patients showed significantly higher levels of liver enzymes and lower conjugated bilirubin than their seronegative counterparts, total protein, albumin and total bilirubin were comparable among the groups. Asymptomatic HBV infection among adolescents without proper identifiable risk factors or mode of acquisition calls for general surveillance, mass immunisation, and public health education to curtail the spread of the virus and its sequalae.