Factors influencing a low rate of hepatitis C viral RNA clearance in heroin users from Southern Chin
Factors influencing a low rate of hepatitis C viral RNA clearance in heroin users from Southern China.
AIM: To study the virological and host factors influencing hepatitis C infection outcomes in heroin users in southern China. METHODS: HCV RNA and associated factors were analyzed among 347 heroin users from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China who were hepatitis C virus (HCV) EIA positive for two or more consecutive visits. RESULTS: Using the COBAS AMPLICOR HCV TEST, a remarkably low HCV RNA negative rate of 8.6% was detected. After multivariate logistic regression analysis, HCV RNA clearance was significantly associated with the presence of HBsAg (OR = 8.436, P < 0.0001), the lack of HIV-1 infection (OR = 0.256, P = 0.038) and age younger than 25 (OR = 0.400, P = 0.029). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests HCV infection among Chinese heroin users results in high levels of viral persistence even amidst factors previously found to enhance viral clearance. Prospective studies of a possible genetic component within the Chinese population and the pathogenicity of non-genotype 1 HCV infections are needed.
Garten RJ, Lai SH, Zhang JB, Liu W, Chen J, Yu XF.
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Room E5148, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States. xfyu@jhsph.edu.