TY - JOUR
T1 - Hepatitis C virus infection is not an independent risk factor for obstructive lung disease
AU - Fischer, William A.
AU - Drummond, Michael B.
AU - Merlo, Christian A.
AU - Thomas, David L.
AU - Brown, Robert
AU - Mehta, Shruti H.
AU - Wise, Robert A.
AU - Kirk, Greg D.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [Grants R01-DA-04334, R01-DA-12568, R01-HL-90483, and R01-DA-16078) and GDK was supported by the American Cancer Society (MRSG-07-284-01-CCE).
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - Several epidemiological studies have suggested that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with the presence of obstructive lung disease (OLD). However, there is a strong link between HCV infection and tobacco abuse, a major risk factor for the development of OLD. In this study we analyzed clinical, laboratory and spirometric data from 1068 study participants to assess whether HCV infection, viremia, or HCV-associated end organ damage were associated with OLD. Demographics, risk behavior, serologic status for HCV and HIV, and spirometric measurements were collected from a cross-sectional analysis of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Linked to the IntraVenous Experience (ALIVE) study, an observational cohort of IDUs followed in Baltimore, MD since 1988. Of 1,068 participants, 890 (83%) were HCV positive and 174 (16%) met spirometric criteria for OLD. Factors independently associated with OLD were age and BMI. HCV infection, viral load and HCV-associated end organ damage were similar in participants with and without OLD. In summary, there was no independent association between markers of HCV exposure, chronicity, viremia, or HCV-associated end-organ damage with OLD. Our findings support the strong correlation between HCV status, injection drug use, and smoking. These data suggest that HCV may not be a sole contributor to the increased prevalence of OLD described in previous studies of HCV-infected individuals.
AB - Several epidemiological studies have suggested that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with the presence of obstructive lung disease (OLD). However, there is a strong link between HCV infection and tobacco abuse, a major risk factor for the development of OLD. In this study we analyzed clinical, laboratory and spirometric data from 1068 study participants to assess whether HCV infection, viremia, or HCV-associated end organ damage were associated with OLD. Demographics, risk behavior, serologic status for HCV and HIV, and spirometric measurements were collected from a cross-sectional analysis of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Linked to the IntraVenous Experience (ALIVE) study, an observational cohort of IDUs followed in Baltimore, MD since 1988. Of 1,068 participants, 890 (83%) were HCV positive and 174 (16%) met spirometric criteria for OLD. Factors independently associated with OLD were age and BMI. HCV infection, viral load and HCV-associated end organ damage were similar in participants with and without OLD. In summary, there was no independent association between markers of HCV exposure, chronicity, viremia, or HCV-associated end-organ damage with OLD. Our findings support the strong correlation between HCV status, injection drug use, and smoking. These data suggest that HCV may not be a sole contributor to the increased prevalence of OLD described in previous studies of HCV-infected individuals.
KW - Chronic viral infections
KW - HIV
KW - Injection drug users
KW - Obstructive Lung Disease
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U2 - 10.3109/15412555.2013.800854
DO - 10.3109/15412555.2013.800854
M3 - Article
C2 - 23862666
AN - SCOPUS:84893290794
SN - 1541-2555
VL - 11
SP - 10
EP - 16
JO - COPD: Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
JF - COPD: Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
IS - 1
ER -