Abstract
To investigate the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in southern China, SLE inpatients were retrospectively investigated for their HBV infection rate. Fifteen SLE patients positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were followed up. Furthermore, serum interferon (IFN)-α levels among SLE patients were detected by ELISA. Results showed estimated HBsAg-positive rate was 10.74% in general population. The HBsAg-positive rate was lower in SLE patients compared with controls (2.33 vs. 9.57%, P < 0.01). Interestingly, 13 out of 15 SLE patients converted from HBsAg positive to HBV surface antibody (HBsAb) positive even under glucocorticoid therapy. In addition, we found significantly increased IFN-α levels in SLE patients.The prevalence of HBV infection in SLE patients was lower than that in sex- and age-matched non-SLE controls in southern China. The characteristic IFN signatures in SLE may favor the subsequent clearance of HBV.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lau GK (2001) Hepatitis B infection in China. Clin Liver Dis 5:361–379
Qu JB, Zhang ZW, Shimbo S et al (2000) Urban–rural comparison of HBV and HCV infection prevalence in Eastern China. Biomed Environ Sci 13:243–253
Wen YM (2001) Laboratory diagnosis of viral hepatitis in China: the present and the future. Clin Chem Lab Med 39:1183–1189
Alarcon-Segovia D, Fishbein E (1971) Australia antigen in systemic lupus. N Engl J Med 284:448
Ziegenfuss JF Jr, Byrne EB, Stoloff IL, Burka ER (1972) Australia antigen in systemic lupus erythematosus. Lancet 1:800
Bonafede RP, van Staden M, Klemp P (1986) Hepatitis B virus infection and liver function in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. J Rheumatol 13:1050–1052
Shorey J, Cheatum DE, Combes B, Ziff M (1974) Hepatitis B antigen and antibody in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 17:583–589
Permin H, Aldershvile J, Nielsen JO (1982) Hepatitis B virus infection in patients with rheumatic diseases. Ann Rheum Dis 41:479–482
Mac-Moune Lai F, Lai KN, Lee JC, Hom BL (1987) Hepatitis B virus-related glomerulopathy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Am J Clin Pathol 88:412–420
Lai KN, Lai FM, Lo S, Leung A (1987) Is there a pathogenetic role of hepatitis B virus in lupus nephritis? Arch Pathol Lab Med 111:185–188
Staples PJ, Gerding DN, Decker JL et al (1974) Incidence of infection in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 17:110
Watanabe Duffy KN, Duffy CM et al (1991) Infection and disease activity in SLE: a review of hospitalized patients. J Rheumatol 18:1180–1184
Boumpas DT, Paliogianni F, Anastassiou ED et al (1991) Glucocorticosteroid action on the immune system: molecular and cellular aspects. Clin Exp Rheumatol 9:413–423
McMahon BJ, Helminiak C, Wainwright RB, Bulkow L, Trimble BA, Wainwright K (1992) Frequency of adverse reactions to hepatitis B vaccine in 43, 618 persons. Am J Med 92:254–256
Bracci M, Zoppini A (1997) Polyarthritis associated with hepatitis B vaccination. Br J Rheumatol 36:300–301
Tudela P, Marti S, Bonal J (1992) Systemic lupus erythematosus and vaccination against hepatitis B. Nephron 62:236
Fritz M, Vats K, Goyal RK (2005) Neonatal lupus and IUGR following alpha-interferon therapy during pregnancy. J Perinatol 25:552–554
Venkataseshan VS, Lieberman K, Kim DU, Thung SN, Dikman S, D’Agati V et al (1990) Hepatitis-B-associated glomerulonephritis: pathology, pathogenesis, and clinical course. Medicine (Baltimore) 69:200–216
Lai FM, To KF, Wang AY et al (2000) Hepatitis B virus-related nephropathy and lupus nephritis: morphologic similarities of two clinical entities. Mod Pathol 13:166–172
Belardelli F, Ferrantini M (2002) Cytokines as a link between innate and adaptive antitumor immunity. Trends Immunol 23:201–208
Berghofer B, Frommer T, Haley G, Fink L, Bein G, Hackstein H (2006) TLR7 ligands induce higher IFN-alpha production in females. J Immunol 177:2088–2096
Koutouzov S, Mathian A, Dalloul A (2006) Type-I interferons and systemic lupus erythematosus. Autoimmun Rev 5:554–562
Pascual V, Farkas L, Banchereau J (2006) Systemic lupus erythematosus: all roads lead to type I interferons. Curr Opin Immunol 18:676–682
Lafyatis R, York M, Marshak-Rothstein A (2006) Antimalarial agents: closing the gate on Toll-like receptors? Arthritis Rheum 54:3068–3070
Banchereau J, Pascual V (2006) Type I interferon in systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases. Immunity 25:383–392
Feng X, Wu H, Grossman JM et al (2006) Association of increased interferon-inducible gene expression with disease activity and lupus nephritis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 54:2951–2962
Looi LM, Prathap K (1982) Hepatitis B virus surface antigen in glomerular immune complex deposits of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Histopathology 6:141–147
Santoro D, Stella M, Montalto G, Castellino S (2007) Lupus nephritis after hepatitis B vaccination: an uncommon complication. Clin Nephrol 67:61–63
Finielz P, Lam-Kam-Sang LF, Guiserix J (1998) Systemic lupus erythematosus and thrombocytopenic purpura in two members of the same family following hepatitis B vaccine. Nephrol Dial Transplant 13:2420–2421
Esteve M, Saro C, González-Huix F, Suarez F, Forné M, Viver JM (2004) Chronic hepatitis B reactivation following infliximab therapy in Crohn’s disease patients: need for primary prophylaxis. Gut 53:1363–1365
Sharif MN, Tassiulas I, Hu Y, Mecklenbrauker I, Tarakhovsky A, Ivashkiv LB (2004) IFN-alpha priming results in a gain of proinflammatory function by IL-10: implications for systemic lupus erythematosus pathogenesis. J Immunol 172:6476–6481
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by Grant no. 30571736/C0302050301 from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China (No. 2006B35601003)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhao, J., Qiu, M., Li, M. et al. Low prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in southern China. Rheumatol Int 30, 1565–1570 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-009-1188-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-009-1188-9