Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among HIV+ men who have sex with men: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Since 2000, an increase in hepatitis C virus infection among HIV-infected (HIV+) men who have sex with men has been observed. Evidence points to blood exposure during sex as the medium of hepatitis C virus transmission. Hepatitis C virus prevalence among HIV + MSM overall and in relation to injection drug use is poorly characterized. In this study, a systematic review and meta-analysis examining global hepatitis C virus antibody prevalence and estimating active hepatitis C virus prevalence among HIV + MSM were conducted; 42 reports provided anti-hepatitis C virus prevalence data among HIV + MSM. Pooled prevalence produced an overall anti-hepatitis C virus prevalence among HIV + MSM of 8.1%; active HCV prevalence estimate was 5.3%–7.3%. Anti-hepatitis C virus prevalence among injection drug use and non-injection drug use HIV + MSM was 40.0% and 6.7%, respectively. Among HIV + MSM, hepatitis C virus prevalence increased significantly over time among the overall and non-injection drug use groups, and decreased significantly among injection drug use HIV + MSM. We identified a moderate prevalence of hepatitis C virus among all HIV + MSM and among non-injection drug use HIV + MSM; for both, prevalence was observed to be increasing slightly. Pooled prevalence of hepatitis C virus among HIV + MSM was higher than that observed in the 1945–1965 US birth cohort. The modest but rising hepatitis C virus prevalence among HIV + MSM suggests an opportunity to control HCV among HIV + MSM; this combined with data demonstrating a rising hepatitis C virus incidence highlights the temporal urgency to do so.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Sofosbuvir and velpatasvir for hepatitis C virus infection in people with recent injection drug use (SIMPLIFY): an open-label, single-arm, phase 4, multicentre trial.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.732868467.793553805 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Norah Terrault

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Drug Use ◽

Virus Infection ◽

Injection Drug Use ◽

Multicentre Trial ◽

Injection Drug ◽

Hepatitis C Virus Infection ◽

Open Label

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Injection Drug Use and Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Young Adult Injectors: Using Evidence to Inform Comprehensive Prevention

Clinical Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/cid/cit300 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 57 (suppl_2) ◽

pp. S32-S38 ◽

Cited By ~ 109

Author(s):

Kimberly Page ◽

Meghan D. Morris ◽

Judith A. Hahn ◽

Lisa Maher ◽

Maria Prins

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Young Adult ◽

Drug Use ◽

Virus Infection ◽

Injection Drug Use ◽

Injection Drug ◽

Hepatitis C Virus Infection

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Hepatitis C Virus Seroconversion among Hiv-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men with No History of Injection Drug Use: Results from a Clinical Hiv Cohort

Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology ◽

10.1155/2015/689671 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 17-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Ann N Burchell ◽

Sandra L Gardner ◽

Tony Mazzulli ◽

Michael Manno ◽

Janet Raboud ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Drug Use ◽

Injection Drug Use ◽

Injection Drug ◽

Hiv Care ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

History Of ◽

Sex With Men ◽

Hiv Positive Men

BACKGROUND: Internationally, there is a growing recognition that hepatitis C virus (HCV) may be sexually transmitted among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM).OBJECTIVE: To report the first Canadian estimate of HCV seroincidence in 2000 to 2010 and its risk factors among HIV-positive MSM with no known history of injection drug use.METHODS: Data from the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study, an ongoing cohort of individuals in HIV care in Ontario, were analyzed. Data were obtained from medical charts, interviews and record linkage with the provincial public health laboratories. The analysis was restricted to 1534 MSM who did not report injection drug use and had undergone ≥2 HCV antibody tests, of which the first was negative (median 6.1 person-years [PY] of follow-up; sum 9987 PY).RESULTS: In 2000 to 2010, 51 HCV seroconversions were observed, an overall incidence of 5.1 per 1000 PY (95% CI 3.9 to 6.7). Annual incidence varied from 1.6 to 8.9 per 1000 PY, with no statistical evidence of a temporal trend. Risk for seroconversion was elevated among men who had ever had syphilis (adjusted HR 2.5 [95% CI 1.1 to 5.5) and men who had acute syphilis infection in the previous 18 months (adjusted HR 2.8 [95% CI 1.0 to 7.9]). Risk was lower for men who had initiated antiretroviral treatment (adjusted HR 0.49 [95% CI 0.25 to 0.95]). There were no statistically significant effects of age, ethnicity, region, CD4 cell count or HIV viral load.CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that periodic HCV rescreening may be appropriate in Ontario among HIV-positive MSM. Future research should seek evidence whether syphilis is simply a marker for high-risk sexual behaviour or networks, or whether it potentiates sexual HCV transmission among individuals with HIV.

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