Mortality in HIV-infected injection drug users with active vs cleared hepatitis C virus-infection: a population-based cohort study

J Viral Hepat. 2010 Apr;17(4):261-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2893.2009.01175.x. Epub 2009 Aug 26.

Abstract

Acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may lead to chronic HCV-infection with detectable HCV RNA or to spontaneous clearance with no HCV RNA, but detectable HCV antibodies. It is unknown whether HCV RNA status is associated with mortality in HIV-infected injection drug users (IDUs). We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study to examine the impact of HCV RNA status on overall and cause-specific mortality in HIV-infected IDUs. We computed cumulative mortality and used Cox Regression to estimate mortality rate ratios (MRR). We identified 392 HIV-infected patients of whom 284 (72%) had chronic HCV-infection (HCV RNA positive patients) and 108 (28%) had cleared the HCV-infection (HCV RNA negative patients). During 1286 person-years of observation (PYR), 157 persons died (MR = 122/1000 PYR, 95% CI: 104-143). The estimated 5-year probabilities of survival were 0.58 (95% CI: 0.51-0.65) in the chronically HCV-infected and 0.52 (95% CI: 0.40-0.63) in the cleared HCV group. Chronic HCV-infection was not associated with overall mortality: MRR 0.85, 95% CI: 0.59-1.21. In HIV-infected Danish IDUs, chronic HCV-infection is not associated with increased mortality compared to patients who have cleared the infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cohort Studies
  • Denmark
  • Drug Users*
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / complications*
  • Hepatitis C / mortality*
  • Hepatitis Viruses
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Substance Abuse, Intravenous / complications*
  • Survival Analysis