@article {10856,
	title = {HBV-DNA levels predict overall mortality in HIV/HBV coinfected individuals.},
	journal = {J Med Virol},
	volume = {88},
	year = {2016},
	month = {2016 Mar},
	pages = {466-73},
	abstract = {The coinfection of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been associated with increased death rates. However, the relevant research has mostly relied on serologic HBV testing [HBV surface antigen (HBsAg)]. The aim of this work was to explore the relationship of HBV viraemia with overall mortality among HIV/HBV coinfected individuals. The analysis included 1,609 HIV seropositives of a previously described cohort (1984-2003) with limited exposure to tenofovir (12\%) and a median follow-up of approximately 5 years. Those with persistent expression of HBsAg were further tested for HBV-DNA. The data were analyzed using Poisson regression models. Totally, 101 participants were chronic carriers of HBsAg (6.28\%). Of these, 81 were tested for HBV-DNA. The median HBV-DNA levels were 3.81 log (base-10) International Units (IU)/ml. A third (31\%) of those tested for HBV-DNA had received tenofovir. Before developing acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), the adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) for all-cause mortality of coinfected patients with HBV viraemia above the median value versus the HIV monoinfected group was 3.44 [95\% confidence interval (CI): 1.05-11.27]. Multivariable regressions in the coinfected group only (n = 81) showed that one log-10 increase in HBV-DNA levels was associated with an elevated risk for death (IRR: 1.24, 95\%CI: 1.03-1.49). HBV-DNA levels predict overall mortality in the setting of HIV/HBV coinfection, especially during the period before developing AIDS, and could thus help prioritize needs and determine the frequency of medical monitoring.},
	keywords = {CD4 Lymphocyte Count, Coinfection, DNA, Viral, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis B Surface Antigens, Hepatitis B virus, HIV Infections, HIV-1, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Poisson distribution, Viral Load, Viremia},
	issn = {1096-9071},
	doi = {10.1002/jmv.24357},
	author = {Nikolopoulos, Georgios K and Paraskevis, Dimitrios and Psichogiou, Mina and Hatzakis, Angelos}
}
