Predictive markers for hepatitis C virus infection among Brazilian inmates.

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has quite high prevalence in the prison system, reaching rates of up to 40%. This survey aimed to estimate the prevalence of HCV infection and evaluate risk factors for this exposure among male inmates at the Ribeirão Preto Prison, State of São Paulo, Brazil, between May and August 2003. A total of 333 participants were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire and underwent immunoenzymatic assaying to investigate anti-HCV. The prevalence of HCV infection among the inmates was 8.7% (95% CI: 5.7-11.7). The participants'mean age was 30.1 years, and the prevalence was predominantly among individuals over 30 years of age. Multivariate analysis showed that the variables that were independently associated with HCV infection were age > 30 years, tattooing, history of previous hepatitis, previous injection drug use and previous needle-sharing.

• Authors: Harnoldo Colares Coelho, Sabrina Alberti Nóbrega de Oliveira, Juliana Custódio Miguel, Maria de Lourdes Aguiar Oliveira, José Fernando de Castro Figueiredo, Gleici Castro Perdoná, Afonso Dinis Costa Passos
• Journal: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (Rev Soc Bras Med Trop) 2009 Jul-Aug Vol. 42 Issue 4 Pg. 369-72 ISSN: 1678-9849 [Electronic] Brazil
• PMID: 19802469 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Hepatitis C Antibodies

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Brazil (epidemiology)
• Hepacivirus (immunology)
• Hepatitis C (diagnosis, epidemiology)
• Hepatitis C Antibodies (blood)
• Humans
• Immunoenzyme Techniques
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prevalence
• Prisoners (statistics & numerical data)
• Risk Factors
• Young Adult