There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease and liver-related
death worldwide, with the majority of these cases occurring in areas of Africa and
Asia where HBV prevalence is high. Many of the countries that are affected by hepatitis
B are also affected by a high HIV burden, leading to frequent HIV/HBV co-infection.
The consequences of co-infection, including increased liver-related morbidity and
mortality, increased hepatitis B viral replication, immune reconstitution to HBV in
the setting of antiretroviral therapy, and hepatotoxicity from antiretroviral drugs,
are especially important in regions with expanding antiretroviral programmes. Little
data, however, are available on HIV/HBV co-infection from regions with high chronic
hepatitis B prevalence. This Review discusses the epidemiology, natural history, pathogenesis,
and management of HIV/HBV co-infection from these areas. Topics for future research
relevant to HIV/HBV co-infection in Africa and Asia are also highlighted.