title: Seroprevalence of HCV markers among HIV infected patients from Curitiba and metropolitan region.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to determine the prevalence and epidemiological factors associated with hepatitis (HCV) coinfection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients from Curitiba and the metropolitan region.
  
  
  METHODS
  a study with 303 HIV+ patients, mean age 41.2 years (18-73); 50.5% men, followed at the Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, between April 2008 and March 2009. Clinical and epidemiological data were obtained through questionnaires and retrospective analysis of medical records. Anti-HCV antibodies were detected by chemiluminescence immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  a total of 12.9% of HIV+ patients were positive for anti-HCV antibodies, 64.1% were men and 35.9% women, with mean age of 44.5 years (24-66). The frequency of HCV among men was 16.7% and among women 9.1% (p=0.06). HCV prevalence was associated to HIV infection when compared to the general population (p<10-6, OR=100.4; 95CI=13.7-734.9). The parenteral route of transmission was the most frequent among coinfected patients (46.1%), and the sexual transmission among HIV+/HCV- (71.8%) (p=0.02, OR=0.2; 95CI=0.1-0.7). The frequency of intravenous drug users was higher among the coinfected patients (61.5%) compared to the non coinfected (12.6%) (p<10-6, OR=11.1; 95CI=4.5-27.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the prevalence of coinfection with HCV in HIV+ patients is 12.9%, 88 times higher than in the general population in Curitiba. The most frequent route of transmission in the coinfected patients is parenteral, but the sexual route is also representative (34.6%).
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Course, UNIBRASIL, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Regina
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Tizzot
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grisbach
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcia Holsbach
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Beltrame
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Iara José de Taborda
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Messias-Reason
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies