title: HIV And HCV infection among opiate-dependent patients and methadone doses: the PROTEUS study.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are prevalent infections in opiate-dependent patients. Opiate replacement treatment (ORT) with methadone or buprenorphine is associated with several important outcomes among patients with opiate dependence. However, little is known about outcomes in patients with HIV and/or HCV infections that are in ORT. Also, it is not well established whether the presence of HCV or HIV infection could be associated with higher methadone doses. This paper reanalyzes the database of PROTEUS study, using two principal variables: methadone dose and presence of HIV and/or HCV infection. PROTEUS recruited 621 patients (84.1% were male, mean age: 38.9 years, SD: 7.9), information about the presence of HIV in status was available for 390 patients. Of those, 134 (34.4%) were HIV-infected. Whilst, information about HCV infection was available for 377 patients. Of those, 315 (83.6%) were HCV-infected. Information on HIV/HCV coinfection was available for 376 patients, of those, 112 (29.8%) had this coinfection. HIV-infected and HIV/HCV-coinfected patients received higher methadone doses than those without these infections. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) was used in 80% of patients with HIV infection. The proportion of patients taking antiretroviral drugs was significantly higher for patients treated with higher methadone doses (p < 0.01). Findings suggest that HIV-infected and HIV/HVC-coinfected patients in ORT require higher methadone dose.
authors.affiliation: a Addiction and Dual Diagnosis Unit, Department of Psychiatry , Vall d'Hebron University Hospital- Public Health Agency, Barcelona (ASPB), CIBERSAM , Barcelona , Spain.|b Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine , Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1421-7385
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roncero
authors.affiliation: c Department of Medicine , Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Internal Medicine Service , Badalona (Barcelona) , Spain.|d Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol , Badalona , Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuster
authors.affiliation: a Addiction and Dual Diagnosis Unit, Department of Psychiatry , Vall d'Hebron University Hospital- Public Health Agency, Barcelona (ASPB), CIBERSAM , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Raul Felipe
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6428-9865
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Palma-Álvarez
authors.affiliation: a Addiction and Dual Diagnosis Unit, Department of Psychiatry , Vall d'Hebron University Hospital- Public Health Agency, Barcelona (ASPB), CIBERSAM , Barcelona , Spain.|b Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine , Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Laia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Cintas
authors.affiliation: a Addiction and Dual Diagnosis Unit, Department of Psychiatry , Vall d'Hebron University Hospital- Public Health Agency, Barcelona (ASPB), CIBERSAM , Barcelona , Spain.|b Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine , Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Nieves
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8473-0606
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martinez-Luna
authors.affiliation: e Departament of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine , University of Valladolid , Valladolid , Spain.
authors.forename: F Javier
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7566-5678
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Álvarez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D060085:Coinfection; D015897:Comorbidity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017288:Pain Threshold
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D008691:Methadone
keywords: HCV; HIV; methadone; opiate replacement treatment; opiate-dependent patients