Seroepidemiology of HCV-HIV coinfection in Tunisia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a cohort of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and to compare risk factors.


METHODS
Multicenter retrospective study from infectious diseases department in Tunisia. We examined sera from HIV patients followed in these centers. Diagnosis of HCV infection was based on third generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test.


RESULTS
362 HIV-1 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 35,5 years. 272 patients (75.13%) were male. Sexual transmission of HIV was the main risk factor (56.3%). 144 patients (39.7%) had antibodies against HCV, mainly in patients with history of intravenous drug abuse (78.4%). Quantitative evaluation of hepatitis C virus RNA was done only in 3 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
HCV-HIV coinfection in tunisian patients occurs frequently, due to the same ways of transmission. More studies are needed to focus on sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus in order to prevent such infections rather than interferon-based therapies.
Dpt of infectious diseases, Rabta Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
Badreddine
B
Kilani
Lamia
L
Ammari
Chekib
C
Marrakchi
Amel
A
Letaief
Mohamed
M
Chakroun
Mounir
M
Ben Jemaa
Hanene Tiouiri
HT
Ben Aïssa
Fakher
F
Kanoun
Taoufik
T
Ben Chaabène
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral