Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Biomarkers Correlates of Liver Injury among Healthy Blood Donors in Nigeria

Objectives: Destruction of blood cells and damage to hepatocytes are the hallmark of hepatitis B viral infection. This cross-sectional study was undertaken to evaluate some hematological parameters and biomarkers of liver injury in healthy blood donors infected with the occult and overt hepatitis B attending the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Nnewi, Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: A total of 20 overt and 14 occult hepatitis B virus-infected blood donors were confirmed and enrolled using Roche ® COBAS q-PCR from 212 consented pooled subjects. Hematological parameters and absolute CD4+ T-cell count were determined using the Sysmex hematology analyzer and Partec cyflow counter, respectively. Determination of serum Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Alpha Feto-protein (AFP) levels were done spectrophotometrically and ELISA, respectively.

Results: The mean red blood cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin, white blood cells, CD4 and platelet count in the overt group were not statistically significantly different from the occult group p>0.05. However, of the 34 infected subjects, 7 (20.6%), 6 (17.7%), 2 (5.9%), 13 (38.2%), 2 (5.9%) and 4 (11.8%) had abnormally low blood values for red blood cells, white blood cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin, CD4 and platelets respectively. The mean ALT and ALP values from the occult and overt groups were not also significantly different (p>0.05).

Conclusion: This study found a decrease in the values of some blood cells. However, no significant changes in the liver enzymes were found. These infected individuals should be managed to prevent transmission of HBV infection to other people and subsequent destruction of blood cells and damage to liver cells. Future studies could focus on patients with chronic liver diseases/Hepatocellular carcinoma caused by HBV to determine the effects on the liver biomarkers and hematological parameters.