Psychiatry Research EG

BACKGROUND: Intravenous drug addicts (IVDA) are at high risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HBV infection, which represent a global panic & challenging health problem due to predisposition to both cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). OBJECTIVES: of this work was to determine the prevalence of antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) and to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) among IVDA, and to study the associated risk factors, in comparison to non intravenous drug addicts (NIDA). METHODS: Anti-HCV and anti-HBc seroprevalence was determined by enzyme- linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in sera of 93 selected addicts [63 IVDA & 30 NIDA], at the Addiction Treatment Center of the Psychiatric Unit at Ain Shams University Hospital, after history taking (with stress on age, level of education, occupation, duration of abuse, and history of surgical operation as risk factors) and thorough clinical examination. RESULTS: Anti-HCV prevalence (51/93= 54.9%) was nearly double that of anti-HBc prevalence (25/92= 27.2), in all studied addicts; with a statistically insiginificant (P> 0.05) difference between IVDA and NIDA regarding either anti-HCV (60.3% Vs 43.3%) or anti-HBc (24.2% Vs 33.3%) prevalence. IVDA showed a statisticaly significant (P< 0.05) rise in anti-HCV prevalence, in those above 30 years old; in manual workers; and in those who were addicts for more than 2 years. NIDA showed a statistically significant (P< 0.05) rise in anti-HBc prevalence in the illiterate and/or read and write patients. The difference between anti-HCV and anti-HBc prevalence was statistically significant (P< 0.05) among IVDA and insignificant (P> 0.05) among NIDA. CONCLUSION: The alarming impact of anti-HCV (more than anti-HBc) seroprevalence among IVDA (more than among NIDA) is profound. Injecting drug use, age, occupation, and duration of abuse were the most important associated risk factors. RECOMMENDATION: Urgent infection control strategies and educational programmes among drug addicts must be given particular attention.