40% HCV Prevalence in SF HIV Clinic

January 7, 2002

----------------------------------

Abstract 1258 at AASLD, Dallas, Nov 2001.

VIRAL HEPATITIS AND LIVER INJURY IN AN HIV COMMUNITY NETWORK

When looking at prevalence among people who contracted HIV thru IVDU

the prevalence will be higher.

B Hare, Mark son, , G Mark, n

G s, Univ of CA at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

BACKGROUND: Co-infection with viral hepatitis is an increasing issue

in HIV subjects. The extent to which co-infection compounds chronic

liver injury or exacerbates drug and alcohol toxicity is not

completely defined. AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of viral

hepatitis and the association of viral hepatitis and liver injury in

an HIV positive community population.

METHODS:

Adult patients infected with HIV who received care at Community

Health Network, San Francisco from July 1996 through June 2000 were

included. We reviewed serum aminotransferases (ALT), alkaline

phosphatase (Alk Phos) and serologic testing for Hepatitis B and C,

including HBsAg, anti-HBc total and HCV Ab . RESULTS: Of 4099 HIV

positive patients, serology was available on 3116 subjects (76%). Of

2458 subjects tested for HBsAg, 218 (8.9%) were positive. Of 1776

tested for total antibody to HBc, 1240 (69.8%) were positive. Of 2859

tested for HCV Ab, 1126 (39.4%) were positive. Serum ALT and Alk Phos

was studied in patients in whom measurements were available over a

period of one year or more, stratified according to hepatitis status

as shown in the table.

CONCLUSION: Viral Hepatitis is common in HIV patients. In this

community population, 76% of patients were tested for hepatitis. Of

these 39.4% of patients were co-infected with HCV and 8.9% with

Hepatitis B. It is not clear how many of the 69.8% of anti-HBc alone

patients had latent disease or were viremic. Liver inflammation is

common in this population. There is a higher incidence of abnormal

liver enzymes in patients co-infected with viral hepatitis, HBV more

than HCV. This is of great significance when treating patients with

HAART.

__________________________________________________

Recommended Posts