Excess Mortality in Siblings of HIV and Hepatitis C Co-Infected Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Hansen Ann-Brit Eg, Lohse Nicolai, Gerstoft Jan, Kronborg Gitte, Laursen Alex, Pedersen Court, Sørensen Henrik Toft, Obel Niels
Primary Institution: Department of Infectious Diseases, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
Hypothesis
HCV infection is a marker of high-risk lifestyle associated with intravenous drug use (IDU).
Conclusion
HCV co-infection among HIV-infected patients was a strong marker for family-related mortality due to substance abuse and other unnatural causes.
Supporting Evidence
- Siblings of HIV/HCV-co-infected individuals had an all-cause excess mortality rate of 3.03 per 1,000 person-years.
- Substance abuse-related deaths contributed most to the elevated mortality among siblings.
- No siblings of HIV/HCV co-infected patients had a liver-related diagnosis as the underlying cause of death.
Takeaway
If someone has both HIV and hepatitis C, their family members might be more likely to die from drug or alcohol problems.
Methodology
The study analyzed causes of death from the Danish National Registry of Deaths for siblings of HIV/HCV-co-infected individuals and compared them with siblings of HIV mono-infected individuals and population controls.
Potential Biases
Potential differential misclassification could lead to underestimation of the contribution of substance abuse to mortality.
Limitations
Death certificate data may not be entirely accurate, and the results may not be generalizable to settings where IDU is not the main route of transmission.
Participant Demographics
Siblings of HIV/HCV-co-infected individuals, HIV mono-infected individuals, and population controls.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 1.56–4.50
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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