Diverse origins of hepatitis C virus in HIV co-infected men who have sex with men in Hong Kong

ObjectivesMen who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV). This study investigated predictors of first-time HCV testing uptake during a 6-month period among a sample of MSM in Hong Kong.MethodsParticipants were 351 Chinese-speaking MSM who had never received HCV testing. Participants completed two telephone surveys 6 months apart. At baseline, participants reported on sociodemographics, sexual behaviours, risk perception, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms. Illness representations, which refers to how people think about HCV, was measured by the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) at baseline. The BIPQ assessed identity (identifying symptoms of HCV), timeline (whether HCV is acute/chronic), consequences (severity of HCV), personal control and treatment control (whether HCV is under volitional control), concern, emotions (anger, guilt or shame) and coherence (overall comprehensibility of HCV). Six months later, participants reported on HCV testing uptake. Logistic regression was used to analyse the associations between baseline predictors and HCV testing uptake.ResultsMost participants were aged ≤30 years (55.0%) and had attained college education or above (85.2%). Among 242 participants (68.9%) who completed the month 6 follow-up, 12.4% had tested for HCV during the follow-up period. After adjustment for HIV testing and chemsex in the last year, participants who perceived more severe consequences of HCV reported higher HCV testing uptake (adjusted ORs (AOR): 2.22, 95% CI: 1.65 to 3.00). Belief that treatment can control HCV (AOR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.35 to 2.26) and having negative emotions related to HCV (AOR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.25 to 2.03) were also positively associated with HCV testing uptake.ConclusionsTargeted health promotion efforts are needed to increase HCV testing among MSM in Hong Kong. Healthcare workers engaged in HCV-related programming should consider modifying the illness representations of HCV. Integrating HCV and HIV testing services may also be beneficial.

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The prevalence of hepatitis B and C co-infections among people with HIV-1 in Bulgaria: 2010–2015

Future Virology ◽

10.2217/fvl-2019-0092 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (12) ◽

pp. 791-798

Author(s):

Ivailo Alexiev ◽

Elitsa Golkocheva-Markova ◽

Asya Kostadinova ◽

Reneta Dimitrova ◽

Lora Nikolova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Hepatitis B ◽

Hepatitis B Surface Antigen ◽

Hcv Rna ◽

B Virus ◽

Sex With Men ◽

Multiple Risk Behavior ◽

Hiv 1 ◽

Hiv Aids

Aim: To evaluate hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among individuals with HIV/AIDS in Bulgaria diagnosed between 2010 and 2015. Materials & methods: A total of 1158 individuals were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS during the study period. Different transmission groups were tested with ELISA and real-time PCR for HBV and HCV markers. Results: Hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C virus antiboby were found in 9.3 and 23.2% of the tested. HBV DNA and HCV RNA has been found in 47.4 and 69.6%. Hepatitis B and C co-infections were predominant in multiple risk behavior groups, including people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, prisoners and Roma individuals. Conclusion: HIV prevalence in Bulgaria is low but the rates of hepatitis B and C co-infections among these patients fall within the upper range reported in Europe.

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A Study of Hepatitis C Virus Antibodies and Serum Alanine Amino Transferase in Blood Donors in Hong Kong Chinese

Vox Sanguinis ◽

10.1111/j.1423-0410.1992.tb01178.x ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 62 (2) ◽

pp. 98-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

C.K. Lin ◽

R. Chu ◽

K. B. Li ◽

S. Leong

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Blood Donors ◽

Hong Kong Chinese ◽

Alanine Amino Transferase

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Hepatitis C virus infection in HIV-infected men who have sex with men: sustained rising incidence in Antwerp, Belgium, 2001–2009

Eurosurveillance ◽

10.2807/ese.15.39.19673-en ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (39) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

E Bottieau ◽

L Apers ◽

M Van Esbroeck ◽

M Vandenbruaene ◽

E Florence

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Hcv Infection ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

Acute Hepatitis C ◽

Transmitted Infection ◽

Sexually Transmitted ◽

Awareness Campaigns ◽

Rising Incidence ◽

Sex With Men

During the last decade, outbreaks of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been reported among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) in several European countries. To study this emerging infection in MSM in Antwerp, Belgium, we reviewed all cases of newly acquired HCV infection in HIV-positive MSM followed from 2001 to 2009 at the HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) reference clinic of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. Newly acquired HCV infection was considered as certain or probable according to local definitions. During the study period, 69 episodes of newly acquired HCV infection (40 certain and 29 probable) were diagnosed in 67 HIV-infected MSM. In only 10 episodes (14%) were the patients symptomatic. The annual incidence of HCV infection in our population of HIV-infected MSM rose steadily from 0.2% in 2001 to 1.51% in 2008, and then peaked to 2.9% in 2009. For 60 episodes (87%), another STI (mainly syphilis and lymphogranuloma venereum) had been diagnosed within the six months before the diagnosis of HCV infection. All but one patient with available genotyping (n=54) were found to be infected with the difficult-to-treat HCV genotypes 1 or 4. Our results therefore demonstrate the rising incidence of HCV infection in HIV-positive MSM in Antwerp, since 2001, which reached an alarming level in 2009. Targeted awareness campaigns and routine screening are urgently needed to limit further HCV spread and its expected long-term consequences.

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THU-391-Impact of early screening and treatment of hepatitis C virus and improvements in risk reduction on HCV transmission among HIV-infected men who have sex with men in France: A modeling approach

Journal of Hepatology ◽

10.1016/s0618-8278(19)30639-5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

pp. e327

Author(s):

Mathieu Castry ◽

Anthony Cousien ◽

Virginie Supervie ◽

Annie Velter ◽

Jade Ghosn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Risk Reduction ◽

Early Screening ◽

Modeling Approach ◽

Hcv Transmission ◽

Sex With Men

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Eliminating Hepatitis C Virus Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus–Infected Men Who Have Sex With Men in Berlin: A Modeling Analysis

The Journal of Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/infdis/jiz367 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 220 (10) ◽

pp. 1635-1644 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Natasha K Martin ◽

Klaus Jansen ◽

Matthias an der Heiden ◽

Christoph Boesecke ◽

Anders Boyd ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Scale Up ◽

World Health ◽

Transmission Model ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Hcv Transmission ◽

Sex With Men

Abstract Background Despite high hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment rates, HCV incidence among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected men who have sex with men (HIV-infected MSM) in Germany rose before HCV direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). We model what intervention can achieve the World Health Organization (WHO) elimination target of an 80% reduction in HCV incidence by 2030 among HIV-infected MSM in Berlin. Methods An HCV transmission model among HIV-diagnosed MSM was calibrated to Berlin (rising HCV incidence and high rates of HCV testing and treatment). We modeled the HCV incidence among HIV-diagnosed MSM in Berlin until 2030 (relative to 2015 WHO baseline) under scenarios of DAA scale-up with or without behavior change (among HIV-diagnosed MSM and/or all MSM). Results Continuing current treatment rates will marginally reduce the HCV incidence among HIV-diagnosed MSM in Berlin by 2030. Scaling up DAA treatment rates, beginning in 2018, to 100% of newly diagnosed HCV infections within 3 months of diagnosis and 25% each year of previously diagnosed and untreated HCV infections could reduce the HCV incidence by 61% (95% confidence interval, 55.4%–66.7%) by 2030. The WHO target would likely be achieved by combining DAA scale-up with a 40% reduction in HCV transmission among HIV-diagnosed MSM and a 20% reduction among HIV-undiagnosed or HIV-uninfected MSM. Discussion HCV elimination among HIV-infected MSM in Berlin likely requires combining DAA scale-up with moderately effective behavioral interventions to reduce risk among all MSM.

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