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Selected Works of Krishna C. Poudel
Article
Coinfection with Hepatitis C Virus among HIV-Positive People in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care)
Journal of the Internation Association of Providers of AIDS Care (2013)
  • Krishna C. Poudel
  • Paula H. Palmer
  • Masamine Jimba
  • Tetsuya Mizoue
  • Jun Kobayashi
  • Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
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Abstract
Background: Previous research has studied the rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection among HIV-positive people regardless
of their antiretroviral therapy (ART) status. Our objectives were to measure the seroprevalence of HCV both in HIV-positive
people receiving ART and in those not receiving ART and to describe the characteristics of coinfected people in the Kathmandu
Valley, Nepal. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 319 HIV-positive people residing in the Kathmandu Valley,
Nepal. We screened the participants’ serum samples for HCV antibodies using the Latex Photometric Immunoassay based on
third-generation assay. Results: A total of 138 (43.3%) participants were HCV positive. The prevalence of HCV coinfection
was 96.2% (125 of 130) among participants with lifetime injection drug use (IDU). Among participants not receiving ART, the
coinfection rate was 58.1% (50 of 86) compared with 37.8% (88 of 233) among those receiving ART. In multivariable analysis,
participants who reported lifetime IDU and were current smokers were more likely to have HCV coinfection. The adjusted odds
ratio (AOR) of HCV coinfection for ART was decreased, although it was not statistically significant (AOR ¼ 0.45; 95% confidence
interval ¼ 0.13-1.48). Conclusion: The high prevalence of HCV coinfection among both individuals receiving ART and those
not receiving ART suggests that screening for HCV among HIV-positive people would be useful, in particular, for those with lifetime
IDU and soon after their HIV diagnosis.
Keywords
  • HCV,
  • HIV,
  • coinfection,
  • antiretroviral therapy,
  • Nepal
Disciplines
Publication Date
Fall September 20, 2013
DOI
10.1177/2325957413500989
Citation Information
Krishna C. Poudel, Paula H. Palmer, Masamine Jimba, Tetsuya Mizoue, et al.. "Coinfection with Hepatitis C Virus among HIV-Positive People in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care)" Journal of the Internation Association of Providers of AIDS Care Vol. 13 Iss. 3 (2013) p. 277 - 283
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/krishna_poudel/66/