HCV RNA Levels in a Multi-Ethnic Cohort of Injection Drug Users: Human Genetic Viral and Demographic Associations

摘要

In patients with chronic hepatitis C, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA level is an important predictor of treatment response. To explore the relationship of HCV RNA with viral and demographic factors, as well as IL28B genotype, we examined viral levels in an ethnically diverse group of injection drug users (IDUs). Between 1998 and 2000, the Urban Health Study (UHS) recruited IDUs from street settings in San Francisco Bay area neighborhoods. Participants who were positive by HCV EIA were tested for HCV viremia by a bDNA assay. HCV genotype was determined by sequencing the HCV NS5B region. For a subset of participants, IL28B rs12979860 genotype was determined by Taqman. Among 1701 participants with HCV viremia, median age was 46 years and median duration of injection drug use was 26 years; 56.0% were African American and 34.0% were of European ancestry (non-Hispanic). HIV-1 prevalence was 13.9%. The overall median HCV RNA level was 6.45 log10 copies/ml. In unadjusted analyses, higher levels were found with older age, male gender, African American ancestry, HBV infection, HIV-1 infection and IL28B rs12979860-CC genotype; compared to participants infected with HCV genotype 1, HCV RNA was lower in participants with genotype 3 or genotype 4. In an adjusted analysis, age, gender, racial ancestry, HIV-1 infection, HCV genotype and IL28B rs12979860 genotype were all independently associated with HCV RNA. Conclusion: The level of HCV viremia is influenced by a large number of demographic, viral and human genetic factors.