Seroepidemiology of HCV-HIV coinfection in Tunisia.

Abstract

AIM:

To determine the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a cohort of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and to compare risk factors.

METHODS:

Multicenter retrospective study from infectious diseases department in Tunisia. We examined sera from HIV patients followed in these centers. Diagnosis of HCV infection was based on third generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test.

RESULTS:

362 HIV-1 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 35,5 years. 272 patients (75.13%) were male. Sexual transmission of HIV was the main risk factor (56.3%). 144 patients (39.7%) had antibodies against HCV, mainly in patients with history of intravenous drug abuse (78.4%). Quantitative evaluation of hepatitis C virus RNA was done only in 3 patients.

CONCLUSION:

HCV-HIV coinfection in tunisian patients occurs frequently, due to the same ways of transmission. More studies are needed to focus on sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus in order to prevent such infections rather than interferon-based therapies.

• Authors: Badreddine Kilani, Lamia Ammari, Chekib Marrakchi, Amel Letaief, Mohamed Chakroun, Mounir Ben Jemaa, Hanene Tiouiri Ben Aïssa, Fakher Kanoun, Taoufik Ben Chaabène
• Journal: La Tunisie medicale (Tunis Med) Vol. 85 Issue 2 Pg. 121-3 (Feb 2007) ISSN: 0041-4131 [Print] Tunisia
• PMID: 17665657 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Viral

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Antibodies, Viral (blood)
• Female
• HIV Infections (epidemiology, transmission)
• Hepacivirus (immunology)
• Hepatitis C (epidemiology, transmission)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Retrospective Studies
• Tunisia (epidemiology)