Factors associated with hepatitis C seropositivity in people living with HIV

• Main Authors: Valdete M. Kuehlkamp, Ione J. C. Schneider, Marcela F. Biudes, Dayani Galato, Jane da Silva, Rosemeri Maurici, Jefferson Traebert, Fabiana Schuelter-Trevisol
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2014
• Subjects: Factores de riesgo; hepatitis C; VIH; coinfección; estudios de casos y controles; Brasil; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/20c9c9f8e8b14cd48150faa171e98401

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) seropositivity in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. METHODS: A paired case-control study adjusted by age and gender was conducted. It included adults coinfected with HIV and HCV (cases) and HIV mono-infected subjects (controls) using non-probability sampling. Data were collected through interviews and review of medical records. The chi-square test was used for comparing categorical variables and the Student’s t-test or Wilcoxon (Mann-Whitney U) test for continuous variables. Confidence intervals (95%) were estimated along with crude and adjusted odds ratios using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 165 patients were surveyed, including 55 cases and 110 controls. The mean age was 43.6 ± 8.4 years, ranging from 19 to 64 years; 70.9% were male. Independent risk factors for HIV/HCV coinfection were education (up to eight years of schooling); age at first intercourse < 15 years; having undergone tattooing; blood transfusion; and use of injecting drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Low level of education, early age at first sexual intercourse, tattooing, blood transfusions, and sharing needles and other drug injection equipment were factors that increased the risk of HIV/HCV coinfection. The results from this research can be compared with similar data from other regions to help direct preventive and educational efforts targeting people living with HIV.