CLINICAL PROFILE OF THE NEWLY DIAGNOSED CHRONIC HBV PATIENTS IN KANO, NIGERIA 

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ABSTRACT: Chronic Hepatitis B infection is a public health disease of the liver that may transformed to cirrhosis, and subsequently to hepatocellular carcinoma. Objectives: This study was carried out to determine the clinical and laboratory profiles in the patients with chronic hepatitis B infection in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of consecutively recruited 204 consenting treatment naïve CHB patients over a period 6 months after excluding HCV, HIV and metabolic syndrome, using administered questionnaires to obtain the biodata and blood sample were taken for the immunological panel, LFTs and HBV DNA levels. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Result: Two hundred and four (204) patients, males (72.1%), took part in the study. Their ages ranged from 19 to 48 years with a mean of 31.4±7.4. About 49.2% of the patients had HBV-DNA levels greater than 2000 IU/mL with significant male preponderance (p = 0.03), 171 patients (83.8%) of the patients were HBeAg negative. Male patients had a significantly higher ALT levels compared to females (22.5 vs 15, p = 0.01). Treatment was indicated in 27 (13.2%) of the patients based on abnormal ALT level plus high HBV DNA and positive family history of HCC and health worker with normal ALT but high HBV DNA. Conclusion: The study showed that most chronic HBV infection in Kano were males with higher HBV DNA level, and HBeAg negative. Also, it showed that serum ALT, HBV DNA counts and clinical profiles consideration were essential for possible commencement of treatment to avert the undesirable consequences.