Co-infection of hepatitis C virus among newly diagnosed HIV-infected adults in Taizhou prefecture of Zhejiang province, China
Zhou, L.; Wu, Q.; Shen, W.; Gao, M.; Ding, Y.; Lin, H.; He, N.
Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi 36(8): 862-866
2015
ISSN/ISBN: 0254-6450 PMID: 26714544 Document Number: 684438
To examine the prevalence and correlates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection as well as plasma HCV viral load among newly diagnosed HIV-infected adults during 2009-2012 in Taizhou prefecture of Zhejiang province, China. Five hundred and seventy-two adults who were newly diagnosed as HIV-infection were screened for anti-HCV immunoglobulin G (IgG). Plasma HCV RNA was quantified if positive for HCV IgG. Forty-two (7.3%) out of the 572 HIV-infected adults were tested positive for HCV IgG. HCV infection was more likely to occur among participants who were infected with HIV through blood transmission (OR = 49.46, 95% CI: 13.71-178.48). Otherwise, HCV infection was less likely to occur among participants who were under 46-86 years of age (OR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.02-0.58), those with mode of homosexual transmission of HIV (OR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.01-0.86), with education of high school or above (OR = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.02-0.78). Thirty-three (78.6%) of the total 42 HIV-HCV patients with coinfection had detectable plasma HCV RNA, whereas 9 (21.4%) had undetectable plasma HCV RNA (i.e., lower than 5.0 × 10² IU/ml) or known as relative HCV viral suppression. No significant associations were noticed on factors as: HCV viral suppression and demographics, HIV transmission route and CD4⁺T-cell counts according to univariate regression analyses. Prevalence of HCV co-infection was relatively high among newly diagnosed HIV-infected adults in this study area. Majority of the HIV-HCV coinfected patients had detectable plasma HCV RNA, of which the long term impact on disease progression deserves called for further research.