[Epidemiology of chronic hepatitis C virus in patients infected by human immunodeficiency virus. Study of 767 patients].

Background And Objective: To study the epidemiological aspects of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients co-infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Patients And Method: This study was carried out in 767 HIV infected patients who were followed-up at the HIV/AIDS Unit of the Internal Medicine Department of the Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital of Lleida (Spain). In addition to clinical records and information about the probable contagion route, gender and starting year of intravenous drug use, patients were analyzed for the presence of hepatitis C antibodies, viral load and HCV genotype, alanine aminotransferase concentration, CD4+ lymphocytes and viral load of HIV. The stage of HIV infection was also recorded.

Results: 546 patients (71.18%) had antibodies to HCV, and 499 of them (91.39%) were intravenous drugs users. Of the HCV+ patients, 61 (11.17%) seemed to have cleared the virus spontaneously. Commonest HCV genotype was 1 (52.57%), followed by 3 (25.56%) and 4 (18.76%). In patients with genotype 1, subtype 1a was the more frequent (65.49%) The variation of the genotypes according to the year of contagion showed a progressive increase of genotype-1 and a progressive decrease of genotype 3. The distribution of patients in the different clinics stages of HIV infection was homogeneous.

Conclusions: In our health care area, most HIV+ patients, especially the intravenous drug users, are co-infected with HCV. Commonest genotype was 1 and commonest subtypes was 1a.