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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 81(1), 2009, pp. 184-186
Copyright © 2009 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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SHORT REPORT


Lack of Evidence of Hepatitis C and HIV Co-Infection among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Peru

Javier R. Lama*, Aldo Lucchetti, Cesar Cabezas, Luis Suarez-Ognio Jorge Sanchez for the Peruvian HIV Sentinel Surveillance Working Group
Investigaciones Medicas en Salud (INMENSA), Lima, Peru; National Institute of Health, and General Directorate of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health of Peru, Lima, Peru

 

ABSTRACT

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection occurs among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) because of shared routes of transmission. To assess the association between HCV and HIV infection among MSM in Peru, we conducted a matched case-control study (162 HIV-positive cases and 324 HIV-negative controls) among participants of an HIV sentinel surveillance survey in six urban cities. The HCV infection was initially screened using anti-HCV ELISA and immunoblot assay, and thereafter confirmed by the HCV RNA qualitative assay. Among cases, no confirmed HCV infection was found while among controls, only two confirmed HCV infections were reported (0.62%). This matched case-control reports a very low probability of association between HCV and HIV co-infection and suggests a very low prevalence of HCV infection among MSM in Peru.

Received December 22, 2008. Accepted for publication February 11, 2009.

Acknowledgments: We extend our great appreciation and gratitude to Jose L. "Toti" Sanchez, Christian Bautista, Darrell M. Singer, Jennifer A. Malia (U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Rockville, Maryland), Silvia M. Montano and V. Alberto Laguna-Torres (U.S. Naval Medical Research Center Detachment–U.S. NMRCD, Lima, Peru) for their invaluable contribution to this study. In addition, we also acknowledge the technical staff at Association Civil Impacta Salud y Educacion–IMPACTA, and at the U.S. NMRCD in Lima, Peru and at the HIV Diagnostic Laboratory, U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Rockville, Maryland, for their assistance in HCV and HIV diagnostic testing and sample management and transport. Members of the Peruvian HIV Sentinel Surveillance Working Group include: Luis Suarez, Monica Pun (General Directorate of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Lima, Peru); César Cabezas, Patricia Caballero (National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health, Lima, Peru); Jorge Sanchez, Javier R. Lama, Juan Guanira, Aldo Lucchetti, Pedro Goicochea, Jorge Vergara (IMPACTA, and Investigaciones Médicas en Salud–INMENSA, Lima, Peru); Martin Casapia, Juan Carlos Hinojosa (Asociacion Civil Selva Amazonica, Iquitos, Peru); Victoria Zamalloa (Instituto Sur Peruano de Infectologia, Arequipa, Peru); Abner Ortiz (Centro Medico Cayetano Heredia, Pucallpa, Peru); Nora Ojeda (Asociacion de Servicios Generales de Salud y Educacion, Sullana, Peru); Anabeli Tataje (Policlinico Daniel Alcides Carrion, Ica, Peru); Pablo Campos, Patricia Garcia, Cesar Carcamo (Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru); Connie L. Celum, King K. Holmes, Joseph Zunt, William Whittington, James P. Hughes (University of Washington, Seattle, WA); Jose L. Sánchez (past member), Silvia Montano, V. Alberto Laguna-Torres and Tadeusz Kochel (U.S. NMRCD, Lima, Peru).

Financial support: This study was supported by the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center (Work Unit Number 62787A.873.H.B0002), and by the U.S. Military HIV Research Program at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (Work Unit Number 62787A S17 H B0002).

Disclaimer: The opinions and assertions contained herein are private ones and do not reflect the official position or opinion of the Republic or Ministry of Health of Peru.

* Address correspondence to Javier R. Lama, Investigaciones Medicas en Salud, Jr. Jose De La Torre Ugarte 166, Lima 14, Peru. E-mail: jrlama{at}inmensa.org

Authors’ addresses: Javier R. Lama, Investigaciones Medicas en Salud, Jr. Jose De La Torre Ugarte 166, Lima 14, Peru, Tel: +(51-1) 441-3993, Fax: +(51-1) 422-9425, E-mail: jrlama{at}inmensa.org. Aldo Lucchetti, Investigaciones Medicas en Salud, Jr. Jose De La Torre Ugarte 166, Lima 14, Peru, Tel: +(51-1) 441-3993, Fax: +(51-1) 422-9425, E-mail: alucchetti{at}inmensa.org. Cesar Cabezas, National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health of Peru, Jr. Capac Yupanqui 1400, Lima 11, Peru. Tel/Fax: +(51-1) 471-9920, E-mail: ccabezas{at}ins.gob.pe. Luis Suarez-Ognio, General Directorate of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health of Peru, Jr. Camilo Carrillo 402, Lima 11, Peru, Tel: +(51-1) 330-1534, Fax: +(51-1) 433-0081, E-mail: luissuarezognio{at}gmail.com. Jorge Sanchez, Investigaciones Medicas en Salud, Jr. Risso 390, Lima 14, Peru, Tel: +(51-1) 265-3355 ext 303, Fax: +(51-1) 265-8542, E-mail: jsanchez{at}inmensa.org.

Human Use Statement: The study protocol (NMRCD.2003.0003, DoD No. 32513, Second Generation Surveillance of STD/HIV/AIDS in Men Who Have Sex with Other Men (MSM), Peru-2002) was approved by the Asociacion Civil Impacta Salud y Educacion (Lima, Perú), and by the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center (Silver Spring, Maryland) Institutional Review Boards in compliance with all applicable federal regulations governing the protection of human subjects; and by the National AIDS and STD Control Program of the Ministry of Health of Peru.

Reprints requests: Javier R. Lama, Investigaciones Medicas en Salud, Jr. Jose De La Torre Ugarte 166, Lima 14, Peru, Tel: +(51-1) 441-3993, Fax: +(51-1) 422-9425, E-mail: jrlama{at}inmensa.org.






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