This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
HBV vaccination reduced risk for rheumatoid factor
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Patients who received hepatitis B virus vaccination and had hepatitis B surface antibodies reduced their risk for positive rheumatoid factor, according to recent study results.
Researchers in South Korea found that the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection led to positive rheumatoid factor (RF) in natural HBV areas in a routine examinations of 13,670 patients (age range, 12-85 years; 54.9% male).
Samples taken in 2004 were tested for RF and HBV infection by screening for any detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibodies (anti-HBs) and total hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc). Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), anti-HBe and HBV DNA were analyzed in HBsAg positive patients. Age, sex, HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc were evaluated to determine if they affected RF positivity.
RF was positive in 479 (3.5%) patients, and HBsAg was detected in 593 (4.3%) patients. Almost 22% of RF-positive patients exhibited HBsAg, which was slightly greater among women (3.8% vs. 3.3%; P=.087). RF was positive in 17.5% of the HBsAg positive group, and 2.9% of the HBsAg negative group (P<.001). In the anti-HBs positive group, RF was positive in 3% of cases; it was positive in 4.6% of anti-HBs negative participants (P<.001).
Among patients who received HBV vaccination and had anti-HBs afterward, 2.7% were RF positive vs. 17.5% of HBsAg positive patients (P<.001).
Using multiple logistic regression analysis, the RF positive rate was increased in positive HBsAg (PR=7.82; 95% CI, 5.737-10.666), female sex (PR=1.214; 95% CI, 1.007-1.461), and older age (PR=1.01; 95% CI, 1.001-1.019), but not in the anti-HBs positive and anti-HBc positive groups.
“The RF positive rate was sixfold higher in HBsAg positive subjects than in HBsAg negative subjects,” the researchers concluded. “Our results suggest that physicians should be aware that HBV infection is a common cause for the positivity of RF in HBV endemic areas. Hepatitis B viral load is associated with RF titer. HBV vaccination may decrease the risk of RF formation.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts