Effect of duration of hepatitis B virus infection on the association between human immunodeficiency virus type‐1 and hepatitis B viral replication

This study examined the effect of duration of hepatitis B virus infection on the association between human immunodeficiency virus type‐1 infection and hepatitis B viral replication. Twenty‐five chronic HBsAg carriers were studied. Presence of hepatitis B virus DNA and expression of HBeAg were more frequent among 20 chronic HBsAg carriers positive for human immunodeficiency virus type‐1 antibody compared with five chronic HBsAg carriers negative for human immunodeficiency virus type‐1 antibody, but the associations were not statistically significant. Hepatitis B virus DNA and HBeAg were inversely related to duration of hepatitis B virus infection (p < 0.001). Stratifying for duration of hepatitis B virus infection, the presence of viral replication was similar among patients negative and positive for antibody to human immunodeficiency virus type‐1. Hepatitis B virus DNA levels did not increase with the decline of cellular immunity over time. In conclusion, hepatitis B virus replication among chronic carriers may be a function of duration of hepatitis B virus infection rather than of an effect of human immunodeficiency virus type‐1. (Hepatology 1992;15:590–592).