Hepatitis B virus replication and tuberculin reactivity

ABSTRACT

Both mycobacterium tuberculosis and hepatitis B virus [HBV] infections are common in Egypt. Among 43 HBsAg healthy carriers and 26 HBsAg [+ve] cirrhotic patients, there was an inverted relationship between HBeAg status and purified protein derivative [PPD] reactivity, but it was statistically significant in the group of carriers [P < 0.01]. When the state of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin [BCG] vaccination was considered, the percentage of PPD reactivity in vaccinated HBeAg [+ve] carriers was significantly lower than that in the vaccinated controls and HBeAg [-ve] ones 20% versus 69.7% and 66.7%]. HBeAg [+ve] cirrhotic patients did not react to PPD whether vaccinated or not. Regarding the HBeAg [-ve] cirrhotic ones, PPD reactivity was only demonstrated in the vaccinated group with a 50% confidence and failed to do so with the non-vaccinated ones. The inverse association of HBeAg and PPD reactivity may suggest that the host response to tubercle bacilli may inhibit the replication of HBV. Those who were vaccinated and positively reacted to PPD were more likely able to inhibit replication of HBV. A clinical trial with BCG vaccination to HBeAg [+ve] carriers may be necessary to support this hypothesis: