title: A Cross-sectional Study of the Association Between Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis Among Participants in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We evaluated the association of chronic HCV infection and coronary atherosclerosis among participants in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed 994 men with or without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (87 of whom had chronic HCV infection) for coronary plaque, using noncontrast coronary computed tomography (CT); 755 also underwent CT angiography. We then evaluated the associations of chronic HCV infection and HIV infection with measures of plaque prevalence, extent, and stenosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for demographic characteristics, HIV serostatus, behaviors, and CVD risk factors, chronic HCV infection was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of coronary artery calcium (prevalence ratio, 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.63), any plaque (prevalence ratio, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.09-1.45), and noncalcified plaque (prevalence ratio, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.16-1.75). Chronic HCV infection and HIV infection were independently associated with the prevalence of any plaque and of noncalcified plaque, but there was no evidence of a synergistic effect due to HIV/HCV coinfection. The prevalences of coronary artery calcium, any plaque, noncalcified plaque, a mixture of noncalcified and calcified plaque, and calcified plaque were significantly higher among men with an HCV RNA load of ≥2 × 10(6) IU/mL, compared with findings among men without chronic HCV infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic HCV infection is associated with subclinical CVD, suggesting that vigilant assessments of cardiovascular risk are warranted for HCV-infected individuals. Future research should determine whether HCV infection duration or HCV treatment influence coronary plaque development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Rebeccah A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: McKibben
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Sabina A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Haberlen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Wendy S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Post
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Todd T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Budoff
authors.affiliation: Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California.
authors.forename: Mallory D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kingsley
authors.affiliation: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Palella
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Chloe L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Thio
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Eric C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Seaberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: atherosclerosis; cardiovascular disease; hepatitis C virus infection; human immunodeficiency virus type 1; plaque