Author(s): Farzaneh Najafi, Mahmood Baghbanian, Zahra Danaii
Background: The conventional method for testing for hepatitis B surface antigen in patients cannot detect occult hepatitis B. If occult hepatitis B is not diagnosed in patients with lupus nephritis and glomerulopathy who are treated with immunosuppressive drugs, they can develop clear hepatitis B. Moreover, considering the potential role of occult hepatitis B in causing an incomplete response to treatment and continuing proteinuria, evaluation of the incidence of occult hepatitis B in these patients is important. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of occult hepatitis B in patients with lupus nephritis and primary glomerulopathy. Methods:This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 112 patients with lupus nephritis and primary glomerulopathy who were referred during a 5-year period to the nephrology and rheumatology clinic of Shahid Sadoughi Hospital in Yazd, Iran. Patients? levels of hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B surface antibody were measured, followed by a hepatitis B virus DNA test for those with both positive and negative hepatitis B surface antigen. Demographic data were recorded using a predesigned questionnaire. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 20 software using statistical tests. Results: The mean age of patients was 40.84 ± 15.11 years. Forty-nine (43.8%) were men and 63 (56.2%) were women. Ninety-seven (86.6%) had primary glomerulopathy, and 15 (13.4%) had lupus nephritis. The prevalence of occult hepatitis B was 3.0% in patients with primary glomerulopathy and 13.3% in patients with lupus nephritis. A significant relationship was observed between the frequency of hepatitis B core antibody and the mean age of patients with the type of disease (P<0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of occult hepatitis B in patients with lupus nephritis was greater than the prevalence in patients with primary glomerulopathy