Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Liver Disease Among Injection Drug Users in Chennai, India
Author Information
Author(s): Mehta Shruti H., Vogt Samantha L., Srikrishnan Aylur K., Vasudevan Conjeevaram K., Murugavel Kalilapuri G., Saravanan Shanmugam, Anand Santhanam, Kumar M. Suresh, Ray Stuart C., Celentano David D., Solomon Suniti, Solomon Sunil S.
Primary Institution: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Hypothesis
What is the prevalence of HCV infection and liver disease among injection drug users in Chennai, India?
Conclusion
Injection drug users in Chennai have a high prevalence of HCV and associated liver disease burden.
Supporting Evidence
- HCV antibody prevalence was 55% among IDUs.
- 281 out of 400 HCV antibody positive IDUs had persistent infection.
- Fibrosis prevalence was higher among those drinking alcohol frequently.
Takeaway
This study found that many people who use drugs by injection in Chennai have a virus that can harm their liver, and this is a big health problem.
Methodology
A prospective cohort study where 1158 IDUs were recruited and tested for HCV antibodies, with follow-up assessments for liver disease.
Potential Biases
Self-reporting may introduce information bias.
Limitations
The study relied on self-reported data, which may be subject to bias, and cross-sectional data limited the ability to establish temporality.
Participant Demographics
Median age was 35 years; 99% were male; predominantly Tamil ethnicity.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.40, 5.09
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website