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Abstract Details
Alcohol Consumption and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) RNA Levels in HIV/HCV Coinfected Patients
Daniel Fuster1, David Nunes2, Debbie M Cheng34, Richard Saitz356, Jeffrey H Samet356
Author information
1Department of Internal Medicine, Addiction Unit Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08916 Badalona, Spain.
2Section of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
3Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
4Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
5Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
6Grayken Center on Addiction, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
Abstract
Background: The impact of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels on the evolution of chronic HCV infection-related liver damage is controversial. Heavy alcohol use is believed to have a deleterious impact on the course of HCV disease, but current knowledge about the possible effect of alcohol use on HCV RNA levels in HIV/HCV coinfected patients is limited.
Methods: We examined 107 HIV/HCV-infected individuals with current or past unhealthy alcohol use to assess the association between alcohol consumption (any drinking vs. abstinent) and HCV RNA levels.
Results: Participants were 75% male, with a mean age of 43 years, and 63% were on antiretroviral therapy. Mean (SD) log HIV RNA was 3.1 (1.4) and mean (SD) log HCV RNA was 6.1 (0.8). Past-month alcohol use was present in 38% of participants. In a multivariable linear regression analysis we found no significant differences in mean log HCV RNA levels between those reporting alcohol use and those who were abstinent [β (95%CI): -0.04 (-0.34, 0.26), p = 0.79)]. There was no significant association between any heavy drinking day and HCV RNA level (0.07, 95% CI: (-0.24, 0.38), p = 0.66).
Conclusions: We did not detect significant associations between alcohol use and HCV RNA levels among HIV/HCV coinfected patients.