       Document 0176
 DOCN  M9440176
 TI    Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in populations at low and
       high risk for sexually transmitted diseases in Rio de Janeiro.
 DT    9404
 AU    Edelenyi-Pinto M; Carvalho AP; Nogueira C; Ferreira Junior O; Schechter
       M; Laboratorio de Pesquisas do Programa SIDA/AIDS, Hospital;
       Universitario Clementino Fraga Filho, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
 SO    Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 1993 Apr-Jun;88(2):305-7. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/94150345
 AB    In order to investigate the sexual transmission of the Hepatitis C Virus
       (HCV), the prevalence of specific antibodies in populations at high and
       low risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) was evaluated. The
       population at low risk for STDs was composed of persons who voluntarily
       donated blood at the Hospital Universitario Clementino Fraga Filho
       (HUCFF) between July and November, 1990 (n = 2494). The population at
       high risk for STDs was drawn from an ongoing study on the natural
       history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection (n = 210, 187
       with sexual risk factors for HIV infection). All samples were screened
       using a first generation ELISA. Repeat reactive samples were then tested
       in a second generation RIBA. For all ELISA positive samples, two sex and
       age-matched ELISA negative controls were selected. Data pertaining to
       the presence of antibodies to the Hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBC
       antibodies) and to Treponema pallidum were abstracted from the medical
       records. The prevalence of RIBA 2 confirmed HCV infection among the
       blood donors was 2.08%, which is well above the reported prevalence in
       similar populations from developed western countries. Among the HIV
       infected homosexuals, the encountered prevalence was 7.96% (p < 0.0005).
       For the whole group with sexually acquired HIV infection, the prevalence
       was 8.02% (p < 0.000005). Anti-HBc antibodies were more frequently
       present in anti-HCV RIBA-2 confirmed positive blood donors than in
       controls (p < 0.001). 33.3% of the HCV-positive blood donors and 11.04%
       controls were found to be anti-HBc positive (p < 0.0005).(ABSTRACT
       TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
 DE    Blood Donors  Brazil  Hepatitis Antibodies/*ANALYSIS  Hepatitis
       C/DIAGNOSIS/*IMMUNOLOGY  Hepatitis C Viruses/IMMUNOLOGY  Human
       Prevalence  Sexually Transmitted Diseases/*IMMUNOLOGY  Support, Non-U.S.
       Gov't  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

