Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4
pubmed:dateCreated
2000-9-29
pubmed:abstractText
Drug users with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are frequently co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), but it is still not clear whether HIV-1 worsens the natural history of hepatitis C. To investigate this, we conducted a multicentre observational study in 163 drug addicts with histologically documented hepatitis C, 92 of whom were also infected with HIV-1: 25 (27%) were CDC stage II, 53 (58%) were CDC stage III and 14 (15%) were CDC stage IV. Eighty-eight (54%) patients had chronic hepatitis (CH) with minimal activity, 28 (17%) had CH with moderate activity, 40 (25%) had CH with severe activity and seven (4%) had active cirrhosis. Twenty-one HIV-negative patients and 15 HIV-positive patients admitted to alcohol abuse (29% vs 16%, P=0.0665). Liver disease was more severe in HIV-positive patients than in HIV-negative ones (P=0.0198): 34 HIV-positive patients and 13 HIV negatives had severe CH and cirrhosis. These two severe liver diseases were seen more often in HIV-positive patients with a history of alcohol abuse than in HIV-negative patients (10 out of 16 vs seven out of 21). Age, alcohol abuse and distribution of the histological categories of liver disease were statistically different in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients. Multivariate analysis showed that age, alcohol abuse and serum antibodies to HIV were independently associated with severe CH or cirrhosis. Thus, HIV may enhance the risk of severe liver disease in drug users with hepatitis C, independently of the degree of immune dysfunction. Alcohol abuse may contribute independently, aggravating the cause of HCV-dependent liver disease.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jul
pubmed:issn
1352-0504
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
7
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
297-301
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2000
pubmed:articleTitle
Hepatitis C is more severe in drug users with human immunodeficiency virus infection.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS, Ospedale Maggiore, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't