Using hepatitis C virus and herpes simplex virus-2 to track HIV among injecting drug users in New York City

• Published in: Drug and alcohol dependence Vol. 101; no. 1; pp. 88 - 91
• Main Authors: Des Jarlais, Don C, Arasteh, Kamyar, McKnight, Courtney, Hagan, Holly, Perlman, David, Friedman, Samuel R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.04.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; AIDS; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Classification; Drug addiction; Ethnic Groups; Female; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; Hepatitis C - virology; Hepatitis C virus; Herpes Genitalis - epidemiology; Herpes Genitalis - virology; Herpes simplex virus 2; Herpesvirus 2, Human; HIV; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - etiology; HIV Seroprevalence; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Injecting drug users; Intravenous drug addicts; Male; Medical sciences; Needle-Exchange Programs; New York City - epidemiology; Prevalence; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk Assessment; Sex Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Substance abuse; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - complications; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - epidemiology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; New York; United States; North America; America; New York City; USA, New York, New York City; AIDS; Substance abuse; HIV; Hepatitis C; Herpes simplex virus-2; Injecting drug users; Social environment; Intravenous administration; Alphaherpesvirinae; Mental health; Biological marker; Hepatic disease; Human herpesvirus 2; Public health; Viral hepatitis C; Human; Immunopathology; Drug addiction; Urban environment; Illicit drug; Herpesviridae; Retroviridae; Needle sharing; Immune deficiency; Lentivirus; Infection; Virus; Viral disease; Risk factor; Digestive diseases; Human immunodeficiency virus; Flaviviridae; Hepatitis C virus; Hepacivirus
• ISSN: 0376-8716; 1879-0046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2008.11.007

Abstract Objective To explore the potential utility of hepatitis C virus (HCV) seroprevalence as a biomarker for injection risk, and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) as a biomarker for sexual risk among injecting drug users (IDUs). We examined the relationships between HCV and HIV and between HSV-2 and HIV among injecting drug users in New York City relative to the large-scale implementation of syringe exchange in the mid-1990s. Methods 397 injecting drug users were recruited from a drug detoxification program in New York from 2005 to 2007. Informed consent was obtained, a questionnaire covering demographics, drug use and HIV risk was administered. Blood samples were tested for antibody to HIV, HCV and HSV-2. Results Among all subjects, HIV prevalence was 17%, HCV prevalence 72% and HSV-2 prevalence 48%. Among IDUs who began injecting before 1995, HIV was 28%, HCV serostatus was strongly associated with HIV serostatus (AOR = 8.96, 95% CI 1.16–69.04) and HSV-2 serostatus was not associated with HIV serostatus (AOR = 1.31, 95% CI 0.64–2.67). Among subjects who began injecting in 1995 or later, HIV was 6%, HCV was not associated with HIV (AOR = 1.04, 95% CI 0.27–4.08) and HSV-2 serostatus was strongly related to HIV serostatus (AOR = 10.71, 95% CI 1.18–97.57). Conclusions HCV and HSV-2 HCV and HSV-2 may provide important new tools for monitoring evolving HIV epidemics among IDUs. Reconsideration of the current CDC hierarchical transmission risk classification system may also be warranted.