Document 0069
 DOCN  M95B0069
 TI    Correlates of hepatitis C virus infections among injection drug users.
 DT    9511
 AU    Thomas DL; Vlahov D; Solomon L; Cohn S; Taylor E; Garfein R; Nelson KE;
       Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of; Medicine,
       Baltimore, MD, USA.
 SO    Medicine (Baltimore). 1995 Jul;74(4):212-20. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/95349385
 AB    Injection drug users are at high risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV)
       infection. In Baltimore, Maryland, the prevalence of anti-HCV is greater
       among injection drug users who are black, human immunodeficiency virus
       (HIV) infected, have injected longer, have injected more frequently, and
       have injected cocaine than among other injection drug users. HCV
       infection occurs quickly after the initiation of injecting illicit
       drugs, with 78% of study participants anti-HCV positive after 2 years of
       injecting. The prevalence of anti-HCV among injection drug users does
       not appear to be related to socioeconomic factors or sexual practices.
       Some injection drug users remain free of anti-HCV even after years of
       injecting and serologic evidence of other bloodborne pathogens. Some of
       these injection drug users have HCV infection, demonstrated by HCV RNA
       in their sera. However, the basis for viral persistence in the absence
       of anti-HCV and for the absence of HCV infection in long-term drug users
       is not known. Further studies are indicated to determine the mechanism
       or mechanisms for the absence of anti-HCV in persons exposed to the
       virus, because the biologic basis for this condition may elucidate the
       elements missing in the immune response of the majority of HCV-exposed
       persons who acquire persistent infection. In addition, interventions to
       prevent HCV infections should be applied in populations at risk for
       injection drug use early or before drug use begins.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  Aged  Base Sequence  Cohort Studies  Comorbidity
       Female  Hepatitis C/COMPLICATIONS/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/VIROLOGY  Hepatitis C
       Viruses/ISOLATION & PURIF  Human  IgG/IMMUNOLOGY  Male
       Maryland/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Middle Age  Molecular Sequence Data  Needle
       Sharing  Polymerase Chain Reaction  Prevalence  Substance Abuse,
       Intravenous/*COMPLICATIONS/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
       JOURNAL ARTICLE  REVIEW  REVIEW, TUTORIAL

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).