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. 2008;3(10):e3608.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003608. Epub 2008 Oct 31.

Molecular epidemiology of HCV monoinfection and HIV/HCV coinfection in injection drug users in Liuzhou, Southern China

Yi Tan  1 , Qi Hou Wei, Liu Jun Chen, Pui Chung Chan, Wen Sheng Lai, Ming Liang He, Hsiang Fu Kung, Shui Shan Lee
Affiliations

Molecular epidemiology of HCV monoinfection and HIV/HCV coinfection in injection drug users in Liuzhou, Southern China

Yi Tan et al. PLoS One. 2008.

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) mono-infection and HCV/HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) co-infection are growing problems in injection drug users (IDU). Their prevalence and genotypic patterns vary with geographic locations. Access to harm reduction measures is opening up opportunities for improving the HIV/HCV profiling of IDU in China, where IDUs account for a significant proportion of the two infections especially in the southern part of the country.

Methodology/principal findings: A cross sectional study was conducted. Through the Liuzhou Methadone Clinic, a total of 117 injection drug users (IDUs) were recruited from Guangxi, Southern China. A majority of the IDUs (96%) were HCV antibody positive, of which 21% were HIV infected. Unlike HCV monoinfection, there was spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of HIV/HCV coinfection, the latter also characterized by a higher prevalence of needle-sharing. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that genotype 6a was predominant in the study population. There were shorter genetic distances among the 6a sequences compared to the other HCV subtypes-1a, 3a, and 3b.

Conclusion/significance: The results suggested that HIV and HCV were introduced at around the same time to the IDU populations in Southern China, followed by their differential spread as determined by the biologic characteristics of the virus and the intensity of behavioural risk. This pattern is different from that in other South East Asian countries where HCV infections have probably predated HIV.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. HCV genotypes, by HIV status, among 96 drug users in Liuzhou cohort.
Figure 2
Figure 2. HCV NS5B phylogenetic tree for drug users in Liuzhou, Guangxi, Southern China, with 96 drug users of which 20 are HIV/HCV co-infected (underlined).
Figure 3
Figure 3. HCV genotype 6a in the study population (n = 34) and other countries and regions.
Codes for sources of samples: CN = China; TW = Taiwan; HK = Hong Kong VN = Vietnam.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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