Frequent coinfection with hepatitis among HIV-positive patients in Urumqi, China.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the epidemiology and outcome for patients with HIV coinfected with hepatitis in comparison with monoinfected patients.

METHODS

At the First Affiliated Hospital at Xinjiang Medical University in Urumqi, China, 395 patients were diagnosed with HIV between 2001 and 2010. The main routes of transmission were sexual (30%) and intravenous drug use (33%). The patient records were studied retrospectively.

RESULTS

A total of 135 patients had markers of viral hepatitis (34.2%). Abnormal liver function was seen among 48.9% of these patients. Hepatitis B surface antigen was positive in 24 patients (6.1%), with 15 (3.8%) being hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA positive, none on tenofovir treatment, because it is still not provided free in Xinjiang. Hepatitis C antibodies were found in 98 patients (24.8%), 46 (11.6%) were hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA positive. Only 1 patient had been treated with interferon and ribavirin. Both HBV and HCV were found in 13 (3.3%) of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly half of the HIV patients in Urumqi had markers of hepatitis. Only antiretroviral treatment is provided free, and most of the patients cannot afford the hepatitis treatment they need, which has to be addressed in the treatment programs.