title: Increased hepatitis C virus load among injection drug users infected with human immunodeficiency virus and human T lymphotropic virus type II.
abstract: Coinfection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and/or human T-lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II) is common among drug users. We compared HCV RNA detection and load in a cohort of 6570 injection drug users from 9 US cities during 1987-1991. Of 385 subjects selected from 16 strata by sex, race (black or nonblack), and HIV/HTLV-II group (HIV positive [HIV(+)]/HTLV-II(+), HIV(+)/HTLV-II negative [HTLV-II(-)], HIV(-)/HTLV-II(+), and HIV(-)/HTLV-II(-)), 376 had HCV antibodies, of whom 305 had detectable HCV load. HCV RNA detection was unrelated to sex, race, and virus groups, but differed by study site. The mean HCV load was 5.4 log(10) IU/mL and was 0.24 log(10) higher in men than in women. Virus load increment with HIV or HTLV-II infection was higher among white subjects than among other subjects. Compared with HIV(-)/HTLV-II(-) subjects, virus load was 0.50, 0.22, and 0.56 log(10) higher in HIV(+)/HTLV-II(-), HIV(-)/HTLV-II(+), and HIV(+)/HTLV-II(+) subjects, respectively. HTLV-II infection significantly increased HCV load in white subjects but not in other racial groups.
authors.affiliation: Viral Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20851, USA. hisadam@exchange.nih.gov
authors.forename: Michie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hisada
authors.forename: Nilanjan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.forename: Mingdong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Battjes
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Goedert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D015497:HIV-1; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000502:physiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral