Hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus coinfection in Spain.
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.
Roca
Bernardino
B
Hospital General, Castellon, Spain. brocav@meditex.es
Suarez
Ignacio
I
Gonzalez
Juan
J
Garrido
Myriam
M
de la Fuente
Belen
B
Teira
Ramon
R
Geijo
Paloma
P
Cosin
Jaime
J
Perez-Cortes
Salvador
S
Galindo
Maria Jose
MJ
Lozano
Fernando
F
Domingo
Pere
P
Viciana
Pompeyo
P
Ribera
Esteban
E
Vergara
Antonio
A
Sánchez
Trinitario
T
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