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[Hepatitis C viral infection and the consumption of intravenous drugs].

BACKGROUND
To know the antibodies seroprevalence against hepatitis C virus (HCV), as well as other factors associated to these antibodies presence in a group of intravenous drug users (IVDU) in Baleares. To know what screening test would be the most adequate to detect antibodies against HCV in this group.


METHODS
The presence of HCV antibodies in serum was determined in 110 IVDU patients, admitted to hospital during 1990 in a unit of opium detoxifying, by techniques enzyme immunotesting (ELISA) and immunoblotting (RIBA); the drug abuse history as well as serologies against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV) and syphilis.


RESULTS
The seroprevalence found by techniques ELISA is 71% and 95% respectively for the tests of first and second generation; using the method RIBA the seroprevalence is 86%. The HIV seroprevalence was 36% and a 53% were anti-HBs positive. No significative differences were found between the positive and negative anti HCV in relation with drug use variables: as first year of consumption and time of addiction, nor with the presence of HIV and HBV markers.


CONCLUSIONS
The HCV seroprevalence among IVDU of the sample studied is similar to those described for this risk group by other authors in other zones. Such infection is not statistically associated with other variables of the drug abuse history nor with the infection by HBV and HIV. Despite the discordances of the HCV seroprevalence with the three test used in the study, the technique ELISA of second generation could be the ideal method of screening of antibodies against the HCV in this risk group.