The similar routes of transmission for HIV and HBV place patients with either infection at greater risk for HIV/HBV co-infection.
Aim: To determine the particularities of hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection in pregnant women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its influence on pregnancy.
Methods: Retrospective study of 74 HIV-infected women monitored during pregnancy in the Iasi Regional HIV/AIDS Center (Romania) from 2010 to 2013. The subjects were divided into 2 groups according to the presence or absence of HBV coinfection.
Results: Most subjects belonged to age group 20-24 years (90% in the HIV group versus 75.5% in the HIV/HBV-coinfected group). HIV infection was most commonly transmitted by parenteral route (65.5% vs. 48.9%). The majority of patients were married (60% vs. 65%) and primiparous at the time of enrollment (71.1% vs. 96.6%). In the HIV/HBV-coinfected group CD4 level was lower and mean plasma viral load higher (1.92 log10 copies/mL vs. 2.31 log10 copies/ml). The proportion of cases with severe immunosuppression was similar in both groups (18.1% vs. 17.9%). HBV-HIV coinfection induced a risk of prematurity of 1.51 times, but did not increase the risk of newborns with low birth weight.
Conclusions: Advanced stages of HIV disease, age group 21-30 years, low CD4 counts, and low levels of education are significant risk factors for preterm birth and low birth weight.