Hepatitis C virus seroprevalence and risk factors among patients with HIV infection

the objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors associated with hcv infection in a group of hiv seropositive patients. we analyzed the medical records of 1,457 patients. all patients were tested for hcv infection by third generation elisa. whenever possible, a sample of the positive patients was also tested for hcv by pcr. hcv positive patients were analyzed according to their risk factors for both infections. the prevalence of anti-hcv positive patients was 17.7% (258 patients). eighty-two (82) of these patients were also tested by pcr and 81 were positive for hcv virus (98%). one hundred fifty-one (58.5%) were intravenous drug users (idu); 42 (16.3%) were sexual partners of hiv patients; 23 (8.9%) were homosexual males; 12 (4.7%) had received blood transfusion; 61 (17.5%) had promiscuous sexual habits; 14 (5.4%) denied any risk factor; 12 (4.7%) were sexual partners of idu. two hundred four patients mentioned only one risk factor. among them, 28 (10.9%) were sexual partners of hiv-positive patients. although intravenous drug use was the most important risk factor for co-infection, sexual transmission seemed to contribute to the high hcv seroprevalence in this group of patients.