Risk Factors and Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C among Patients Hospitalized at Mulago Hospital, Uganda
The emergence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and its associated sequelae in Africa is a cause for significant concern. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients are at an increased risk of contracting HCV infection due to similar risk factors and modes of transmission. We investigated the ser...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2011-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Tropical Medicine |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/598341 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849469055395692544 |
|---|---|
| author | J. I. O'Reilly P. Ocama C. K. Opio A. Alfred E. Paintsil E. Seremba A. N. Sofair |
| author_facet | J. I. O'Reilly P. Ocama C. K. Opio A. Alfred E. Paintsil E. Seremba A. N. Sofair |
| author_sort | J. I. O'Reilly |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The emergence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and its associated sequelae in Africa is a cause for significant concern. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients are at an increased risk of contracting HCV infection due to similar risk factors and modes of transmission. We investigated the seroprevalence of hepatitis C in hospitalized HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients in Mulago Hospital, an academic hospital in Uganda. Blood samples were first tested for HCV antibodies, and positive tests were confirmed with HCV RNA PCR. We enrolled five hundred patients, half HIV-positive and half HIV negative. Overall, 13/500 patients (2.6%) tested positive for HCV antibodies. There was no difference in HCV antibody detection among HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. Out of all risk factors examined, only an age greater than 50 years was associated with HCV infection. Traditional risk factors for concurrent HIV and HCV transmission, such as intravenous drug use, were exceedingly rare in Uganda. Only 3 of 13 patients with detectable HCV antibodies were confirmed by HCV RNA detection. This result concurs with recent studies noting poor performance of HCV antibody testing when using African sera. These tests should be validated in the local population before implementation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fee4ef8dc0b54cc0aebae2e112a3f522 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-9686 1687-9694 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Tropical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-fee4ef8dc0b54cc0aebae2e112a3f5222025-08-20T03:25:39ZengWileyJournal of Tropical Medicine1687-96861687-96942011-01-01201110.1155/2011/598341598341Risk Factors and Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C among Patients Hospitalized at Mulago Hospital, UgandaJ. I. O'Reilly0P. Ocama1C. K. Opio2A. Alfred3E. Paintsil4E. Seremba5A. N. Sofair6Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USAMakerere University Medical School, Kampala, UgandaMakerere University Medical School, Kampala, UgandaMakerere University Medical School, Kampala, UgandaYale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USAMakerere University Medical School, Kampala, UgandaYale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USAThe emergence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and its associated sequelae in Africa is a cause for significant concern. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients are at an increased risk of contracting HCV infection due to similar risk factors and modes of transmission. We investigated the seroprevalence of hepatitis C in hospitalized HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients in Mulago Hospital, an academic hospital in Uganda. Blood samples were first tested for HCV antibodies, and positive tests were confirmed with HCV RNA PCR. We enrolled five hundred patients, half HIV-positive and half HIV negative. Overall, 13/500 patients (2.6%) tested positive for HCV antibodies. There was no difference in HCV antibody detection among HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. Out of all risk factors examined, only an age greater than 50 years was associated with HCV infection. Traditional risk factors for concurrent HIV and HCV transmission, such as intravenous drug use, were exceedingly rare in Uganda. Only 3 of 13 patients with detectable HCV antibodies were confirmed by HCV RNA detection. This result concurs with recent studies noting poor performance of HCV antibody testing when using African sera. These tests should be validated in the local population before implementation.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/598341 |
| spellingShingle | J. I. O'Reilly P. Ocama C. K. Opio A. Alfred E. Paintsil E. Seremba A. N. Sofair Risk Factors and Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C among Patients Hospitalized at Mulago Hospital, Uganda Journal of Tropical Medicine |
| title | Risk Factors and Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C among Patients Hospitalized at Mulago Hospital, Uganda |
| title_full | Risk Factors and Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C among Patients Hospitalized at Mulago Hospital, Uganda |
| title_fullStr | Risk Factors and Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C among Patients Hospitalized at Mulago Hospital, Uganda |
| title_full_unstemmed | Risk Factors and Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C among Patients Hospitalized at Mulago Hospital, Uganda |
| title_short | Risk Factors and Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C among Patients Hospitalized at Mulago Hospital, Uganda |
| title_sort | risk factors and seroprevalence of hepatitis c among patients hospitalized at mulago hospital uganda |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/598341 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jioreilly riskfactorsandseroprevalenceofhepatitiscamongpatientshospitalizedatmulagohospitaluganda AT pocama riskfactorsandseroprevalenceofhepatitiscamongpatientshospitalizedatmulagohospitaluganda AT ckopio riskfactorsandseroprevalenceofhepatitiscamongpatientshospitalizedatmulagohospitaluganda AT aalfred riskfactorsandseroprevalenceofhepatitiscamongpatientshospitalizedatmulagohospitaluganda AT epaintsil riskfactorsandseroprevalenceofhepatitiscamongpatientshospitalizedatmulagohospitaluganda AT eseremba riskfactorsandseroprevalenceofhepatitiscamongpatientshospitalizedatmulagohospitaluganda AT ansofair riskfactorsandseroprevalenceofhepatitiscamongpatientshospitalizedatmulagohospitaluganda |