Hepatitis C: prevalence and risk factors among patients with HIV/AIDS in Belém Pará, in Brazilian Amazon

The objective of this investigation was to study the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and to identify possible risk factors for its transmission, in 406 adult patients with HIV/AIDS who attended at public health services, in Belém city, Pará, Brazil. The anti-HCV was performed by third gene...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 2004, Vol.37 Suppl 2, p.40
Main Authors: Monteiro, Maria Rita de Cassia Costa, do Nascimento, Margarida Maria Passeri, Passos, Afonso Dinis Costa, Figueiredo, José Fernando de Castro
Format: Article
Language:Portuguese
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Biomarkers - blood
Brazil - epidemiology
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Female
Hepacivirus - genetics
Hepacivirus - immunology
Hepatitis C - complications
Hepatitis C - epidemiology
Hepatitis C - transmission
Hepatitis C Antibodies - blood
HIV Infections - complications
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Polymerase Chain Reaction
RNA Viruses
Seroepidemiologic Studies
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Summary:The objective of this investigation was to study the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and to identify possible risk factors for its transmission, in 406 adult patients with HIV/AIDS who attended at public health services, in Belém city, Pará, Brazil. The anti-HCV was performed by third generation immunoenzymatic technique, and the HCV RNA by polymerase chain reaction. The overall prevalence of hepatitis C virus was 16% (CI: 12.4 - 19.6). Multivariate analysis showed association between virus C infection and age, with significant risk in the group about fifty years old or more (OR=9.75), blood transfusion (OR=4.74) and use of injecting drugs (OR=149.28). The hepatitis C virus infection was detected in 83.7% of intravenous drug users and 22.1% of transfused patients. These data indicate the efficient transmission of the virus through the percutaneous exposition and reaffirm the high risk to hepatitis C among injectable illicit drug user.
ISSN:0037-8682