Usefulness of hepatitis B viral load quantification for patient eligibility for antiviral treatment in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Introduction
Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains endemic in Burkina Faso. Universal screening for HBV is recommended in highly endemic areas, but few data are available on the proportion of HBsAg+ people requiring antiviral treatment in these settings. Material and methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional analytical study. It was carried out in patients with chronic HBV infection received for an initial B viral load (BVL) at the Centre Assaut-Hépatites in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Viral DNA was extracted and amplified by real-time qPCR. HBeAg was determined by ELISA. Data were analysed using R software version 4.1.0. We calculated the sex ratio, mean age and proportions. Patients aged ≥ 25 years with a VLB ≥ 20000 IU/mL, aged [0 - 25[years with a VLB ≥ 2000 IU/mL and those with a positive HBeAg were considered eligible for treatment. Results: A total of 627 patients were included in the study, of whom 340 (54%) were men, giving a sex ratio of 1.18. The mean age was 35 years (95% CI [4.27; 102.84]) (p = 0.036). Viral load (VL) was detectable in 489 (78%) patients and undetectable in 138 (22%). Of the 627 patients, 108 had been tested for HBeAg. On the basis of the viral load, 158 (25.2%) patients were eligible for treatment and only 4 (0.63%) patients were eligible on the basis of the HBeAg test. Conclusion: In summary, it appears that 25.2% of patients were eligible for antiviral treatment. However, to obtain a more representative overview, it is necessary to extend this study to other towns in Burkina Faso