title: Preliminary research on the co-infection of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis virus in intravenous drug users.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To confirm the close relationship of high co-infection rate between HIV and hepatitis virus in intravenous drug users (i.v.DUs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Anti-HIV, HBV and HCV were detected by ELISA in the serum from 35 scattered and 15 massed i.v.DUs. PCR and RT-PCR were performed to confirm the infection of HIV, HBV, HCV, HGV and TTV among the 15 massed intravenous drug abusers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 50 i.v.DUs, the positive rates of anti-HCV1 HBsAg, anti-HBe and anti-HBc were 92% (46/50), 12% (6/50), 10% (5/50) and 66% (33/50), respectively. In the samples of HBsAg positive, their HBeAg was also positive. Although the positive rate of serum markers was different in the massed i.v.DUs compared to the scattered i.v.DUs, no significant difference was shown. In the cases of massed i.v.DUs, the positive rates of HIV DNA, HBV-DNA, HCV-RNA, HGV-RNA, and TTV-DNA were 100% (15/15), 26.6% (4/15), 53.3% (8/15), 33.3% (5/15) and 26.6% (4/15), respectively. Among the 15 massed intravenous drug users, one was infected with HIV, HBV, HCV, HGV and TTV; two were infected with HIV, HBV, HCV and HGV; three were infected only with HIV; and the remaining had other forms of co-infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The co-infection rate of HIV, HBV, HCV, HGV and TTV in intravenous drug users is very high.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China. flwnp@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Nanping
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zou
mesh_terms: D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*