TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors associated with phylogenetic clustering of hepatitis C among people who inject drugs in Baltimore
AU - Falade-Nwulia, Oluwaseun
AU - Hackman, Jada
AU - Mehta, Shruti H.
AU - McCormick, Sean D.
AU - Kirk, Gregory D.
AU - Sulkowski, Mark
AU - Thomas, David
AU - Latkin, Carl
AU - Laeyendecker, Oliver
AU - Ray, Stuart C.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by National Institutes of Health [grant numbers K23DA041294 (to OFN), K24DA034621 (to MS), R37DA013806 (to DT), R01DA16065 (to MS), U01DA036935, DA036927 (to SHM) and DA048063 (to SHM)]. This research was facilitated by the infrastructure and resources provided by a Doris Duke Early Clinician Investigator award (to OFN) and the Johns Hopkins University Center for AIDS Research, a National Institutes of Health funded program [grant number P30AI094189], which is supported by the following National Institutes of Health Co-Funding and Participating Institutes and Centers: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Aging, Fogarty International Center, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and Office of AIDS Research. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Acknowledgements
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, The Author(s).
PY - 2020/12
Y1 - 2020/12
N2 - Background: The availability of effective, oral direct acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment has put elimination of HCV as a public health challenge within reach. However, little is known about the characteristics of transmission networks of people who inject drugs (PWID). Methods: Sequencing of a segment of the HCV genome was performed on samples collected from a community-based cohort of PWID between August 2005 and December 2016. Phylogenetic trees were inferred, and clusters were identified (70% bootstrap threshold; 0.04 maximum genetic distance threshold). We describe sex, race, age difference, and HIV infection status of potential transmission partners. Logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with being in an HCV cluster. Results: Of 508 HCV genotype 1 viremic PWID, 8% (n = 41) were grouped into 20 clusters, consisting of 19 pairs and 1 triad. In adjusted analyses, female sex (odds ratio [OR] 2.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–4.5]) and HIV infection (OR 5.7 [CI 2.7–11.9]) remained independently associated with being in an HCV infection cluster. Conclusions: Molecular epidemiological analysis reveals that, in this cohort of PWID in Baltimore, HIV infection and female sex were associated with HCV clustering. Combination HCV prevention interventions targeting HIV infected PWID and addressing HCV infection prevention needs of women have potential to advance HCV elimination efforts.
AB - Background: The availability of effective, oral direct acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment has put elimination of HCV as a public health challenge within reach. However, little is known about the characteristics of transmission networks of people who inject drugs (PWID). Methods: Sequencing of a segment of the HCV genome was performed on samples collected from a community-based cohort of PWID between August 2005 and December 2016. Phylogenetic trees were inferred, and clusters were identified (70% bootstrap threshold; 0.04 maximum genetic distance threshold). We describe sex, race, age difference, and HIV infection status of potential transmission partners. Logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with being in an HCV cluster. Results: Of 508 HCV genotype 1 viremic PWID, 8% (n = 41) were grouped into 20 clusters, consisting of 19 pairs and 1 triad. In adjusted analyses, female sex (odds ratio [OR] 2.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–4.5]) and HIV infection (OR 5.7 [CI 2.7–11.9]) remained independently associated with being in an HCV infection cluster. Conclusions: Molecular epidemiological analysis reveals that, in this cohort of PWID in Baltimore, HIV infection and female sex were associated with HCV clustering. Combination HCV prevention interventions targeting HIV infected PWID and addressing HCV infection prevention needs of women have potential to advance HCV elimination efforts.
KW - HIV
KW - Hepatitis C
KW - Molecular epidemiology
KW - People who inject drugs
KW - Women
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85095705910&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85095705910&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s12879-020-05546-x
DO - 10.1186/s12879-020-05546-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 33167892
AN - SCOPUS:85095705910
SN - 1471-2334
VL - 20
JO - BMC infectious diseases
JF - BMC infectious diseases
IS - 1
M1 - 815
ER -