Elrashdy F, Hagag S, Mohamed R, Abdel Alem S, Meshaal S, Cordie A, Elsharkawy A, Esmat G. Incidence of hepatitis C virus infection among people living with HIV: An Egyptian cohort study.
South Afr J HIV Med 2022;
23:1442. [PMID:
36479422 PMCID:
PMC9724027 DOI:
10.4102/sajhivmed.v23i1.1442]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Egypt used to have one of the highest hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection prevalence rates worldwide, with an estimated HCV prevalence of around 4.5% to 6.7%.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the HCV infection incidence rate amid Egyptian patients living with HIV.
METHOD
A total of 460 HIV-positive patients were recruited in a retrospective cohort study from Imbaba Fever Hospital, Cairo, between January 2016 and March 2019. The patients had a negative baseline and at least one other HCV antibody test. Hepatitis C virus antibody testing was done by antibody sandwich third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The hepatitis C virus infection incidence rate among HIV-infected patients was calculated using the person-time incidence rate.
RESULTS
Two hundred and eighteen patients were finally included: 146 (31.7%) patients were excluded for having a positive baseline HCV Ab result and 96 patients were excluded for not having a follow-up HCV Ab test. Eighteen patients had HCV seroconversion (8.3%), achieving an incidence rate of 4.06 cases per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval: 3.87-4.24). Injection drug use (IDU) was the commonest risk factor among seroconverters, with an HCV incidence rate of 7.08 cases per 100 person-years. Injection drug use history was reported in 83.3% of the seroconverters and in only 47.2% of non-seroconverters; P = 0.005.
CONCLUSION
Egyptian HIV-infected patients show a high incidence rate of HCV infection especially among those who have a history of IDU. Accordingly, attention should be paid for prevention, screening and timely treatment of HCV in patients infected with HIV.
WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS
The demonstration of a high HCV infection incidence rate among HIV-infected patients and shows the need for screening and prevention in this population.
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