HCV New Drugs

January 06, 2011

Studies from University of New South Wales in the area of HIV/AIDS published

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NewsRx.com

Investigators publish new data in the report 'Impact of hepatitis C virus infection on all-cause and liver-related mortality in a large community-based cohort of inner city residents.' "The aim of this study was to measure the impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on mortality in a cohort of inner city residents. The Community Health and Safety Evaluation is a community-based study of inner city residents followed retrospectively and prospectively through linkages with provincial virology and mortality databases," investigators in Sydney, Australia report (see also HIV/AIDS).

"We identified participants having received HCV antibody testing, evaluated cause-specific mortality rates and factors associated with all-cause and liver-related mortality using Cox Proportional Hazards models. Overall, 2332 participants received HCV antibody testing (recent non-injection drug use -81%).

The prevalence of HCV and HIV was 64% (1495 of 2332) and 21% (485 of 2332), respectively. Between January 2003 and December 2007, there were 180 deaths (192 per 10.000 person-years; 95% CI: 165, 222), with 21% HIV-related, 20% drug-related and 7% liver-related. Mortality was associated with age >50 [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) 2.80 vs 50 [AHR 18.49 vs 50 years of age were at significant risk of liver-related mortality," wrote J. Grebely and colleagues, University of New South Wales.

The researchers concluded: "Continued surveillance of this population infected with HCV in the 1970s and 1980s is important."

Grebely and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Viral Hepatitis (Impact of hepatitis C virus infection on all-cause and liver-related mortality in a large community-based cohort of inner city residents. Journal of Viral Hepatitis, 2011;18(1):32-41).

For additional information, contact J. Grebely, The University of New South Wales, National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Keywords: City:Sydney, Country:Australia, Antibodies, Blood Proteins, Digestive System Diseases, Flaviviridae Infections, Gastroenterology, Globulins, HCV, HIV Infections, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C Virus, Hepatitis Viruses, Hepatology, Human Hepatitis, Immunoglobulins, Immunology, Infectious Disease, Liver Diseases, Primate Lentiviruses, RNA Viruses, Retroviridae, Vertebrate Viruses, Viral Hepatitis, Viral Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Virology.

This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Health & Medicine Week via NewsRx.com.

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