HIV AND HCV COINFECTION: PREVALENCE, ASSOCIATED FACTORS AND GENOTYPE CHARACTERIZATION IN THE MIDWEST REGION OF BRAZIL

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Solange Zacalusni Freitas, Sheila Araújo Teles, Paulo Cesar Lorenzo, Marco Antonio Moreira Puga, Tayana Serpa Ortiz Tanaka, Danilo Yamamoto Thomaz, Regina Maria Bringel Martins, Angelita Fernandes Druzian, Andréa Siqueira Campos Lindenberg, Marina Sawada Torres, Sérgio A. Pereira, Livia Melo Villar, Elisabete Lampe, Ana Rita Coimbra Motta-Castro
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 2014
• Subjects: Coinfection; HCV; HIV; Prevalence; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46652014000600011; https://doaj.org/article/2c3d176a20e3489b8cffcf79c2cd9888

A cross-sectional study on prevalence, associated factors and genotype distribution of HCV infection was conducted among 848 HIV-infected patients recruited at reference centers in the Midwest Region of Brazil. The prevalence rate of HIV-HCV coinfection was 6.9% (95% CI: 5.2 to 8.6). In multivariable analysis, increasing age, use of illicit drugs (injection and non-injection), a history of blood transfusion before 1994, and the absence of a steady partnership were significant independent associated factors for HIV-HCV coinfection. The phylogenetic analysis based on the NS5B region revealed the presence of two major circulating genotypes of HCV: genotypes 1 (58.3%) and 3 (41.7%). The prevalence of HIV-HCV coinfection was lower than those reported in studies conducted with HIV-infected patients in different regions of Brazil, due to the fact that illicit drug use is not a frequent mode of HIV transmission in this region of Brazil. Serologic screening of HIV-patients for HCV before initiating antiretroviral treatment, a comprehensive identification of associated factors, and the implementation of effective harm reduction programs are highly recommended to provide useful information for treatment and to prevent HCV coinfection in these patients.