2nd International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment Paris, France - July 13 - 16, 2003

IAS Conf HIV Pathog Treat 2003 Jul 13-16;2nd: Abstract No. 978
Antiviral Therapy 2003; 8(Suppl. 1):S460

[ABSTRACT:] Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a common condition among HIV-positive patients. This can be attributed to the similar infection routes shared by those viruses.

Objective: To describe the HIV/HCV co-infection rates and its routes of transmission in a southern Brazilian population.

Methods: We conducted a cohort study in a tertiary hospital infectology centre. Patients were followed at regular intervals between 1985 and 2002 and were assessed in regard to their imunological status against HCV. Data about sexual behavior, probable HIV infection route and expositional risk factors were recorded and analysed to verify association.

Results: 1,128 patients (78% males) were included in the study. The co-infection rate was 28.5%. It was verified a greater co-infection rate in males (33% in men and 19% in women; RR 1.75; CI 95% 1.39–2.22; P<0.00001). Patients with parenteral transmission of HIV were more co-infected than patients with sexual HIV transmission (RR 5.55; CI 95% 4.70–6.54; P<0.00001). Men were more co-infected due to injected drug use (IDU) than for sexual activity (RR 5.24; CI 95% 4.32–6.34; P<0.00001. Among women, parenteral route represent a greater risk than sexual transmission (RR 6.38; CI 95% 4.45–9.13; P<0.00001) and IDU were more co-infected than women exposed to sexual route (RR 6.62; CI 95% 4.57–9.59; P<0.00001).

Conclusion: HIV/HCV coinfection is a prevalent condition in our cohort. Men are more co-infected; this can be explained by the strong association between male sex and parenteral route of HIV infection. Among parenteral routes, IDU seems to be the co-infection determinant factor.

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