title: Serological markers and risk factors for hepatitis B and C viruses in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: Both hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses (HBV and HCV) infection are common in HIV-infected individuals as a result of shared risk factors for acquisition. A serological study for HBV and HCV was performed in 251 HIV-positive individuals from Medellín, Colombia. A qualitative RT-PCR for HCV was done in 90 patients with CD4+ T-cell count < 150 per mm(3). Serological markers for HBV infection were present in 97 (38.6%) patients. Thirty six of them (37.1%) had isolated anti-HBc. A multivariate analysis indicated that the following risk factors were significantly associated with the presence of these markers: age (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01-1.08), pediculosis pubis (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.01-3.33), men who have sex with men and women (OR = 3.23, 95% CI: 1.46-7.13) and men who have sex only with men (OR = 3.73, 95% CI: 1.58-8.78). The same analysis restricted to women showed syphilis as the only significant risk factor. Thus, HBV infection was considerably associated with high risk sexual behavior. HCV was present in only two (0.8%) of HIV patients. Both of them were positive by RT-PCR and anti-HCV. This low frequency of HIV/HCV coinfection was probably due to the uncommon intravenous drug abuse in this population. The frequent finding of isolated anti-HBc warrants molecular approaches to rule out the presence of cryptic HBV infection.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Inmunovirología, Biogénesis, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 62 #52-59, Medellín, Colombia. alvaromicro@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoyos-Orrego
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Massaro-Ceballos
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ospina-Ospina
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gómez-Builes
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vanegas-Arroyave
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tobón-Pereira
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jaramillo-Hurtado
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rugeles-López
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D007075:Immunoglobulin M