Viral hepatitis in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus

from 1992 to 1995 we studied 232 (69% male, 87% caucasian) anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-hiv) positive brazilian patients, through a questionnaire; hiv had been acquired sexually by 50%, from blood by 32%, sexually and/or from blood by 16.4% and by an unknown route by 1.7%. intravenous drug use was reported by 29%; it was the most important risk factor for hiv transmission. the alanine aminotransferase quotient (qalt) was >1 for 40% of the patients, 93.6% had anti-hepatitis a virus antibody, 5.3% presented hepatitis b surface antigen, 44% were anti-hepatitis b core antigen positive and 53.8% were anti-hepatitis c virus (anti-hcv) positive. the anti-hcv test showed a significant association with qalt>1. patients for whom the probable hiv transmission route was blood had a 10.8 times greater risk of being anti-hcv positive than patients infected by other routes. among 30 patients submitted to liver biopsy, 18 presented chronic hepatitis.