[ThPeC7491] Lack of transmission of HCV in a cohort of heterosexual serodiscordant couples

Important note: Information in this abstract was accurate in July 2002.
The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

[TITLE:] Lack of transmission of HCV in a cohort of heterosexual serodiscordant couples

[AUTHOR(S):] Garcia, S., Rodriguez, C., Clavo, P., Ballesteros, J., Hernando, V.,¹, Marincovich,B.², Castilla,J.³

Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12;14:Abstract No. ThPeC7491

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of therapy with IFN and RBV for the treatment of chronic hepatitis (CH) C in HIV-infected patients.

METHODS: Between 1991 and 2000, in a STD/HIV clinic, we followed a dynamic cohort of 165 persons -147 women and 18 men- whose mean age was 29.7+-4 years, who were not initially infected neither by HIV nor by HCV, but whose steady heterosexual partner presented antibodies to both viruses (index case), and in all cases showed previous injected drug use. Every six months, clinical, epidemiological and risk behaviour information was collected, and antibodies to both viruses were determined. Risk exposures other than sexual intercourse with co-infected partner were excluded.

RESULTS: A total of 471 person-years of follow-up and more than 36,000 vaginal or anal intercourses were taken into account. During follow-up 68 persons (41%) had vaginal (66) and/or anal (7) intercourse without condom with their infected partner. 68% (n=113) had unprotected orogenital exposures. Furthermore, among the 40 persons who used condom in all contacts, 8 declared breaking of condom during intercourse. 22 women became pregnant, of which two were index cases. During follow-up a total of over 5200 vaginal and anal coitus without condom with the infected partner was estimated, as well as more than 22,000 unprotected orogenital contacts, and 90 episodes of condom breaking during anal or vaginal penetration. Seroconversion to HIV occurred for one woman, but there was no seroconversion to HCV (95% confidence interval, 0-7 per 10,000 coitus without condom). The incidence rate for HIV was 2 per 1000 person-years, and 1.9 per 10,000 coitus without condom (95% CI, 0.1-12.4 per 10,000).

CONCLUSIONS: We did not observe any case of heterosexual transmission of HCV from HIV co-infected patients. These results are consistent with other studies that describe a low or null transmissibility of HCV in stable heterosexual relations.

Presenting author: Garcia, S

1Centro Sanitario Sandoval, Servicio Regional de Salud, Sandoval, 7, 28010 Madrid, Spain

2Beca MUTIS, Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion Internacional, Madrid, Spain

3Centro Nacional de Epidemiologia (ISCIII) y Secretaria del Plan Nacional sobre Sida, Madrid, Spain

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