title: Hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus coinfection in Spain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In a cross-sectional study, based on a cohort composed of HIV-infected patients of fifteen tertiary level institutions of Spain, the main data of the entire cohort are described, characteristics of patients with or without hepatitis C coinfection are compared, and the possible association of hepatitis C virus coinfection with socioeconomic, HIV-related, and hepatitis B-related variables is assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 4,709 patients are studied. Median of age is 37 years, 78.3% are male. HIV risk behaviours are: parenteral drug use in 63.8% of patients, heterosexual in 22.3%, and homosexual in 10.8%. Serology of hepatitis C is positive in 69.2% of participants. The following variables are associated with increased prevalence of hepatitis C coinfection, both in univariate and in multivariate analysis: HIV risk behaviour, positive anti-HBs, longer time elapsed since HIV infection diagnosis, younger age, lower social status, lower CD4 cell count increase between nadir and last available result, and lower educational level (all P<0.001). Patients with heterosexual behaviour are more frequently coinfected than patients with homosexual behaviour (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights that, in Spain, more than two thirds of patients with HIV infection are coinfected with hepatitis C virus.
authors.affiliation: Hospital General, Castellon, Spain. brocav@meditex.es
authors.forename: Bernardino
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roca
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.forename: Belen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teira
authors.forename: Paloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Geijo
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cosin
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perez-Cortes
authors.forename: Maria Jose
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Galindo
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Domingo
authors.forename: Pompeyo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Viciana
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ribera
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vergara
authors.forename: Trinitario
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sánchez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric