Seronegative Chronic HCV Infection in HIV-Infected Patients

Patients with a history of injection drug use and either an elevated ALT level or a low CD4-cell count should have at least one HCV RNA test.

Studies have documented hepatitis C viremia in HIV-infected patients who tested negative for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies, but the numbers have been too small to determine risk factors for this phenomenon. Now, investigators have pooled data from three cohort studies of seronegative HCV infection and from the Fat Redistribution and Metabolic Change in HIV Infection (FRAM) study.

A total of 1855 HIV-infected subjects were tested for HCV antibody and RNA. Of the 1174 subjects who were HCV-antibody–negative, 37 (3.2%) were HCV-RNA–positive. Independent risk factors for seronegative HCV infection included a history of injection drug use (IDU; odds ratio, 5.8), increasing levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT; OR, 2.0 per doubling), and a…

Reviewing Author

Camilla S. Graham, MD, MPH

Seronegative Chronic HCV Infection in HIV-Infected Patients

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Reviewing Author