RISK FACTORS IN HEPATITIS C TRANSMISSION: A CASE-CONTROL
STUDY
J.J. Raabe^{1}, J.M. Perarnau^{1}, J.F. Viel^{2}, C.
Jeanvoine^{1}, S. Mrani-Alaoui^{1}. ^{1}Service de Medecine B,
Centre Hospitalier Regional de Metz,^{2} Department d'information
Medicale, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Besancon,
France
Background:
commonly recognised risk-factors have been shown to account for
only 50%-60% of hepatitis C cases.
Aim:
to assess other risk factors associated with hepatitis C. Patients
and methods: a case-control study was carried out. The cases were
100 HCV positive (+ve) subjects seen at an outpatient clinic. The
controls were 100 sex and age +/-3 matched anti HCV negative (-ve)
subjects seen in a National Health Insurance check-up Center. There
were 68 males and 38 females in each group with a mean age of 46+/-
1.3 year. All serums were tested by 2nd generation ELISA. Anti HCV
+ve patients were further tested by 2nd generation RIBA. An
interviewer-administered questionnaire on possible risk factors was
given to both anti HCV positive subjects and controls. Conditional
logistic regressions were performed. The crude Odds Ratios (O.R.)
were calculated by univariate analysis but, to identify variables
that were independently associated with HCV infection, the adjusted
O.R. were calculated by multivariate analysis.
Results:
the risk factors evaluated by univariate analysis (O.R.-confidence
interval 95%) are: place of birth out of France: 3.33 (1.32-8.39),
blood transfusions: 5.71 (2.53-12.9), history of IV drug use: 14
(1.8-100), digestive endoscopy: 3.2 (1.56-6.57), tattoos: 7
(0.839-58.4), ear piercing: 3.33 (0.903-12.3), number of
hospitalisations : 11 (1.38-87.4), sexual activity with an at-risk
partner: 5.25 (1.78-15.5). The adjusted O.R. were calculated and
identified variables that were independently associated with HCV
infection are: history of IV drug use: 18.8 (1.26-280), blood
transfusion: 8.33 (2.80-24.8), place of birth out of France: 5.04
(1.44-17.6), hospitalisations in a medical unit: 3.83 (1.47-9.96),
hospitalisations in a surgical unit: 3.33 (1.10-10). Conclusions:
Although HCV infection is most strongly correlated with know
risk-factors (blood transfusions, IV drug use), other risk factors
also play a role in HCV transmission.
Source: American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
- 1996 Annual Meeting
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