title: Hepatitis D virus infections among injecting drug users with and without human immunodeficiency virus infection in Taiwan.
abstract: In Taiwan, injecting drug use has been the main route of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission since 2005, with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) also having similar transmission routes. This has now become an important public health issue. The aim of this study is to explore the conditions of HDV infections between injecting drug users (IDUs) with and without HIV infection in Southern Taiwan. In this study, 87 IDUs were enrolled, including 27 anti-HDV seronegative IDUs and 60 anti-HDV seropositive IDUs, and the results of their liver function tests, CD4 cell counts, and anti-HIV and HIV RNA levels were analyzed. The prevalence of anti-HDV seropositivity among hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositive IDUs in this study was 68.9% (60/87). The prevalence rate of anti-HDV seropositive IDUs among anti-HIV seronegative and anti-HIV seropositive cases was 40.0% (12/30) and 84.2% (48/57), respectively. Anti-HIV seropositivity was related to anti-HDV seropositivity (odds ratio = 9.34, 95% confidence interval = 2.67-31.59, p < 0.001). Among IDUs with HIV infection, there was no significant difference in CD4 cell counts and HIV RNA viral load between HBsAg-positive patients with anti-HDV seronegativity and those with anti-HDV seropositivity. In conclusion, the prevalence of HDV infection among IDUs is higher among IDUs with HIV infection. Because anti-HIV seropositivity is significantly related to anti-HDV seropositivity, HDV infection among IDUs is still important. We suggest that for IDUs, HBsAg and anti-HDV should be monitored closely.
authors.affiliation: Health Management Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Meng-Hsuan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Center and Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Chi
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Yen
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Department of Occupational Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Lun
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Health Management Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jeng-Fu
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Ru
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tun-Chieh
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Hepatitis Center and Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jee-Fu
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Health Management Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Hepatitis Center and Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Yen
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Tropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Electronic address: jijits@cc.kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Jih-Jin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Hepatitis Center and Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Hepatitis Center and Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Lung
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis D virus; Human immunodeficiency virus; Injecting drug users; Taiwan