Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 14, 2005; 11(26): 4085-4089
Published online Jul 14, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i26.4085
Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and its related risk factors in drug abuser prisoners in Hamedan - Iran
Amir Houshang Mohammad Alizadeh, Seyed Moayed Alavian, Khalil Jafari, Nastaran Yazdi
Amir Houshang Mohammad Alizadeh, Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Seyed Moayed Alavian, Baghiatalah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Khalil Jafari, Nastaran Yazdi, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Amir Houshang Mohammad Alizadeh, Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 7th Floor, Taleghani Hospital, Yaman Str., Evin, Tehran 19857, Iran. article@rcgld.org
Telephone: +98-21-2418871 Fax: +98-21-2402639
Received: October 12, 2004
Revised: October 23, 2004
Accepted: October 26, 2004
Published online: July 14, 2005
Abstract

AIM: Recent studies in Iran has shown that prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among Iranian prisoners is high, in spite of low HCV seroprevalence in general population.

METHODS: This study was carried out in the central prison of Hamedan - Iran, in year 2002. Inmates were interviewed using a standard questionnaire including demographic, imprisonment history and HCV-related risk behaviors items. Thereafter, the sera drawn from the participants were tested for anti-HIV and anti-HCV antibodies.

RESULTS: A total number of 427 drug abuser inmates participated in our study. Three hundred and ninety-seven (93%) were men and 30 (7%) were women. Total number of IV drug abusers (IDA) and non-IV drug abusers (NIDA) was 149 (34.9%) and 278 (65.1%), respectively. The overall rate of antibody positivity among inmates was 0.9% for HIV and 30% for HCV. Of all IDAs, 31.5% and of NIDAs, 29.1% had serological evidence of HCV infection.

CONCLUSION: The seroprevalence of HCV infection among drug abuser prisoners in comparison with the general population in Iran, is very high (30% vs in italics 0.2%). Our results indicate the importance of policies to prevent transmission of HCV infection during and following incarceration.

Keywords: Hepatitis C virus, Prisoners, Drug abusers, Iran