Summary
Serum specimens from 111 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infected and 183 HIV-1 seronegative patients were analysed for antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) by enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay. Anti-HCV and anti-HBV antibodies were found in the vast majority (89 and 83%, respectively) of intravenous drug addicts (IVDA), independent of the type of drug abuse or whether the patients were HIV-1 infected or not. Anti-HAV antibodies were found in 60% of the IVDA. Anti-HCV antibodies were found in anti-HIV-1 positive homosexual men (14%) and anti-HIV-1 negative heterosexual persons (8%), but not in HIV-1 seronegative homosexual men. Also anti-HAV antibodies were found to a small extent in these groups. In contrast, anti-HBV antibodies were common in the homosexual men. The absorbance values of the positive reactions in the anti-HCV ELISA were lower for HIV-1 seropositive patients than those for HIV-1 seronegative subjects, particularly in the late stages of HIV-1 infection. These data suggest that HCV infection is transmitted as readily as HBV infection by intravenous drug abuse and that all three types of hepatitis virus infection are common in IVDA. Although transmission of HCV is primarily mediated by blood, sexual transmission may also occur. HIV-1 infection seems to be associated with unusually low levels of anti-HCV antibodies, especially in the late stages of HIV-1 infection.
Zusammenfassung
Serumproben von 111 mit dem menschlichen Immunschwächevirus Typ 1 (HIV-1) Infizierten und von 183 HIV-1 seronegativen Patienten wurden auf Antikörper gegen das Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) und Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) mittels enzymgebundenem Immunassay (ELISA) oder Radioimmunassay untersucht. Bei der überwiegenden Mehrzahl der i. v. Drogenabhängigen fanden sich Antikörper gegen HCV (89%) und HBV (83%). Dabei fand sich keine Korrelation zur Art der Droge oder HIV-Infektion. 60% der i. v. Drogenabhängigen hatten auch HAV-Antikörper. Unter den anti-HIV-1 positiven Männern wiesen 14% Antikörper gegen HCV auf. Anti-HIV negative heterosexuelle Personen waren zu 8% anti-HCV positiv. Unter den HIV-1 seronegativen homosexuellen Männern fanden sich in keinem Fall Antikörper gegen HCV. Ein kleiner Anteil der Personen dieser Gruppen wies auch Antikörper gegen HAV auf. Anti-HBV Antikörper fanden sich häufig bei homosexuellen Männern, wobei keine Abhängigkeit vom HIV-Serumstatus bestand. Bei HIV-1 seropositiven Patienten, und zwar besonders ausgeprägt im Spätstadium der HIV-Infektionen, waren die Absorptionswerte bei positivem anti-HCV ELISA niedriger als bei HIV-1 seronegativen Personen. Daraus läßt sich schließen, daß die HCV-Infektion wie die HBV-Infektion durch intravenösen Drogenmißbrauch übertragen wird und daß alle drei Typen der Virushepatitis bei i. v. Drogenabhängigen häufig sind. Obwohl die HCV-Übertragung hauptsächlich durch Blut erfolgt, ist eine sexuelle Übertragung ebenfalls möglich. Bei HIV-1 Infizierten sind die anti-HCV Antikörperspiegel ungewöhnlich niedrig, vor allem in den Spätstadien der Infektion.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Choo, Q. L., Kuo, G., Weiner, A. J., Overby, L. R., Bradley, D. W., Houghton, M. Isolation of a cDNA clone derived from a blood borne non-A, non-B, viral hepatitis genome. Science 244 (1989) 359–362.
Kuo, G., Choo, Q. L., Alter, J., Gitnick, G., Redeker, A. G., Purcell, R. H., Miyamura, T., Dienstag, J. L., Alter, M. J., Stevens, C. E., Tegtmeier, G. E., Bonino, F., Colombo, M., Lee, W-S., Kuo, C., Berger, K., Shuster, J. R. An assay for circulating antibodies to a major etiological virus of human non-A, non-B hepatitis. Science 244 (1989) 362–364.
Alter, H. J., Purcell, R. H., Shih, J. W., Melpolder, J. C., Houghton, M., Choo, Q-L., Kuo G. Detection of antibody to hepatitis C virus in prospectively followed transfusion recipients with acute and chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis, N. Engl. J. Med. 321 (1989) 1494–1500.
Esteban, J. I., Esteban, R., Viladomio, L., López-Talavera, J. C., González, A., Hernández, J. M., Roget, M., Vargas, V., Genescá, J., Buti, M., Guardia, J., Houghton, M., Choo, Q-L., Kuo, G. Hepatitis C virus antibodies among risk groups in Spain. Lancet ii (1989) 294–297.
Huemer, H. P., Prodinger, W. M., Larcher, C., Möst, J., Dierich, M. P. Correlation of hepatitis C virus antibodies with HIV-1 seropositivity in intravenous drug addicts. Infection 18 (1990) 122.
Noel, L., Guerois, C., Maisonneuve, P., Verroust, F., Laurian, Y. Antibodies to hepatitis C virus in haemophilia. Lancet ii (1989) 560.
Mortimer, P. P., Cohen, B. J., Litton, P. A., Vandervelde, E. M., Bassendine, M. F., Brind, A. M., Hambling, M. H. Hepatitis C virus antibody. Lancet ii (1989) 798.
Weiner, A. J., Kuo, G., Bradly, D. W. Detection of hepatitis C viral sequences in non-A, non-B hepatitis. Lancet ii (1990) 3551–3.
Widell, A., Hansson, B. G., Moestrup, T., Nordenfelt, E. Increased occurrence of hepatitis A with cyclic outbreaks among drug addicts in a Swedish community. Infection 11 (1983) 198–200.
Mattson, L., Weiland, O., Glaumann, H. Chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis developed after transfusions, illicit self injections or sporadically. Liver 9 (1989) 120–127.
Bodsworth, N., Donovan, B., Nightingale, B. The effect of concurrent human immunodeficiency virus infection on chronic hepatitis B: a study of 150 homosexual men. J. Infet. Dis. 160 (1989) 577–582.
Converse, P. J., Fehniger, T. E., Ehrnst, A., Strannegård, Ö., Britton, S.: Immune responses to fractionated cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigens after HIV infection: Loss of cellular and humoral reactivity to antigens recognized by HIV-, CMV+ individuals. Clin. Exptl. Immunol. (1990) in press.
Lange, J., Paul, D., Huisman, H., de Wolf, F., van den Berg, H., Coutinho, R., Danner, S., van der Noordaa, J., Goudsmit, J. Persistent HIV antigenaemia and decline of HIV core antibodies associated with transition to AIDS. Br. Med. J. 293 (1986) 1459–1462.
Hess, G., Massing, A., Rossol, S., Schütt, H., Clemens, R., Meyer zum Büschenfelde. Hepatitis C virus and sexual transmission. Lancet ii (1989) 987.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sönnerborg, A., Abebe, A. & Strannegård, Ö. Hepatitis C virus infection in individuals with or without human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. Infection 18, 347–351 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01646402
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01646402