High Seroprevalence But Low Incidence of HCV Infection in a Cohort of Patients With Sexually Transmitted HIV in Andalusia, Spain

Purpose. To analyze the prevalence and the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) seropositivity in sexually transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients. Methods. Observational study of 1468 sexually transmitted HIV-infected patients from 7 hospitals (Southern Spain). Characteristics of HCV cases, and incidence of HCV seroconversion was assessed. Results. Seroprevalence of HCV was 16.1%, higher among heterosexual than homosexual patients, and similar between heterosexual men and women. Seroincidence was 0.16 cases per 100 patient-years, similar between homosexual and heterosexual patients. HCV patients had a mean CD4 of 523 cells/μL, 82.0% were on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), and 72.0% had undetectable HIV viral load. Serum HCV-RNA was positive in 79.0% cases, and only 16.0% had ever received HCV treatment. Conclusions. HCV seroprevalence among sexually transmitted HIV-infected patients is more frequent than in the general population; however, incidence of HCV infection is curre...