Lee MH, Yang HI, Wang CH, Jen CL, Yeh SH, Liu CJ, You SL, Chen WJ, Chen CJ. Hepatitis C virus infection and increased risk of cerebrovascular disease.
Stroke 2010;
41:2894-900. [PMID:
20966408 DOI:
10.1161/strokeaha.110.598136]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and cerebrovascular disease remains controversial. This study aimed to assess the risk of lethal cerebrovascular diseases associated with chronic HCV infection.
METHODS
In this community-based prospective cohort study, 23 665 residents (aged 30 to 65 years) were enrolled in 1991 to 1992. They were personally interviewed using structured questionnaires and provided blood samples for various serological and biochemical tests at study entry. Serum HCV RNA level and HCV genotype were tested for participants seropositive for antibodies against HCV (anti-HCV). Deaths from cerebrovascular disease during follow-up were ascertained by computerized linkage with National Death Certification profiles from 1991 to 2008 (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision 430 to 438). Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio with 95% CI was estimated for each risk predictor.
RESULTS
There were 255 cerebrovascular deaths during 382 011 person-years of follow-up. The cumulative risk of cerebrovascular deaths was 1.0% and 2.7% for seronegatives and seropositives of anti-HCV, respectively (P<0.001). The hazard ratio (95% CI) of cerebrovascular death was 2.18 (1.50 to 3.16) for anti-HCV seropositives after adjustment for several conventional risk factors of cerebrovascular disease. Compared with participants seronegative for anti-HCV as the referent, the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) was 1.40 (0.62 to 3.16), 2.36 (1.42 to 3.93), and 2.82 (1.25 to 6.37), respectively, for anti-HCV-seropositive participants with undetectable, low, and high serum levels of HCV RNA (P<0.001 for trend). However, no significant association was observed between HCV genotype and cerebrovascular death.
CONCLUSIONS
Chronic HCV infection is an independent risk predictor of cerebrovascular deaths showing a biological gradient of cerebrovascular mortality with increasing serum HCV RNA level.
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