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BLOOD-BORNE VIRAL HEPATITIS MARKERS AMONG PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS IN CROATIA: PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS
Tatjana Vilibić-Čavlek
; Department of Viral Serology, Croatian Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia 2 School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
*
Jasmina Kučinar
; Department of Serology and Immunology, Istria County Institute of Public Health, Pula, Croatia
Maja Vilibić
; Department of Psychiatry, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia; School of Medicine, Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
Ante Cvitković
; Department of Epidemiology, Brod-Posavina County Institute of Public Health, Slavonski Brod, Croatia and School of Medicine University of Osijek, Croatia
Senka Gabud-Gjurčević
; Department of Epidemiology, Brod-Posavina County Institute of Public Health, Slavonski Brod, Croatia and School of Medicine University of Osijek, Croatia
Maja Bogdanić
; Department of Viral Serology, Croatian Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
Ljiljana Milašinčić
; Department of Viral Serology, Croatian Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
Ljiljana Antolašić
; Department of Viral Serology, Croatian Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
Nenad Pandak
; Department of Infectious Diseases, The Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman
Jasna Valić
; Department of Epidemiology, Istria County Institute of Public Health, Pula, Croatia
Branko Kolarić
; Department of Epidemiology, Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia; Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
People who inject drugs (PWID) represent a high-risk and high-prevalence group for both hepatitis C (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. A total of 224 PWID from three geographically distant Croatian regions (three continental counties and one county located on the Adriatic Coast) were tested for the presence of blood-borne hepatitis markers: hepatitis B surface antigen
(HBsAg), hepatitis B core total antibodies (anti-HBc) and hepatitis C (anti-HCV) antibodies. Study participants were recruited from the psychiatry hospital ward (19.6%) and outpatient counseling centers (80.4%). Serologic tests were performed using a commercial enzyme-linked fluorescent assay. Initially, reactive anti-HCV samples were confirmed using a third-generation line
immunoassay. The overall prevalence of HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HCV was 0.9% (95%CI=0.1-3.2), 22.8% (95%CI=17.4-28.2), and 55.8% (95%CI=49.0-62.4), respectively. There were significant regional differences in both anti-HBc (17.9-38.8%, p=0.01) and anti-HCV prevalence (49.1-75.5%, p=0.007). Anti-HBc prevalence increased gradually with age from 21.3% to 64.3%, starting with the 30-39 age group (p<0.001). In contrast, a sharp increase in anti-HCV seroprevalence was observed from 24.6% in PWID less than 30 years to 59.6% in the 30-39 age group. Thereafter, there was a steady increase to 92.9% in PWID above 50 (p<0.001). Sharing injection equipment correlated strongly with HBV and HCV seropositivity. Significantly higher seroprevalence rates were found in PWID who reported sharing syringes/needles frequently or occasionally (anti-HBc 34.7%/23.5% vs 14.9%, p=0.009; anti-HCV 87.8%/63.5%% vs 8.7%, p<0.001). Residents of urban areas were more often seropositive compared to residents of suburban/rural areas (anti-HBc 25.3% vs 6.7%, p=0.033; anti-HCV 58.8% vs 36.7%, p=0.03). Heterosexual individuals had higher HCV prevalence rates compared to homo/bisexual individuals (60.1% vs 25.0%; p=0.03). Gender, educational level, marital status, employment status, history of imprisonment, tattooing, and traveling, as well as sexual risk factors, were not associated with HBV or HCV seropositivity.
Ključne riječi
Hepatitis B; hepatitis C; people who inject drugs; seroprevalence; risk factors; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
334097
URI
Datum izdavanja:
28.7.2025.
Posjeta: 604 *