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Fierer DS, Carollo JR, Rodriguez-Caprio G, Radix A, Vail R, Chavez R, Bungay KJ, Dillon SM. Hepatitis C Virus Reinfection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men With HIV in New York City. Clin Infect Dis 2024:ciae297. [PMID: 39023296 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciae297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) reinfection rates are substantially higher than primary infection rates among men who have sex with men (MSM) with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in European cohorts. The behaviors mediating this high rate of transmission among MSM are poorly characterized. METHODS We performed a prospective cohort study in New York City (NYC) of MSM with HIV who cleared HCV to determine the incidence of and risk factors for HCV reinfection. We assessed the risk behaviors for primary HCV in NYC: receipt of semen in the rectum, and sexualized methamphetamine use, along with route of use. Multivariable analysis was performed with Andersen-Gill extension of the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS From 2000 through 2018, among 304 MSM with HIV who cleared HCV, 42 reinfections occurred over 898 person-years, for an incidence rate of 4.7 per 100 person-years. Assessing 1245 postclearance visits, only receipt of semen into the rectum was associated with reinfection (hazard ratio, 9.7 [95% confidence interval: 3.3-28.3], P < .001); methamphetamine use was not. CONCLUSIONS The high HCV reinfection rate over almost 2 decades demonstrates that sexual transmission of HCV is not inefficient or unusual and that direct-acting antiviral treatment is not sufficient for HCV elimination among MSM in NYC. The contrasts between both the rates of and risk factors for primary and HCV reinfection suggest that HCV prevalence is highly heterogenous among sexual networks and that sexualized methamphetamine use, rather than mediating transmission, is instead a surrogate marker for the highest HCV prevalence networks. As neither condoms nor treatment have been successful strategies for HCV prevention in NYC, novel interventions are needed to stem this sexually transmitted HCV epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Fierer
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jesse R Carollo
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gabriela Rodriguez-Caprio
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, New York, New York, USA
| | - Asa Radix
- Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, Department of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rona Vail
- Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, Department of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Robert Chavez
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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Li H, Marks KM, Talal AH, van Seggelen WO, Akil B, Radix A, Huprikar S, Branch AD, Wang S, Shaw GM, Fierer DS. Assessing routes of hepatitis C transmission in HIV-infected men who have sex with men using single genome sequencing. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235237. [PMID: 32667919 PMCID: PMC7363067 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The epidemic of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) is in its second decade, but the routes of transmission remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that by pairing single genome sequencing (SGS), to enumerate infecting HCV genomes (viruses), with detailed sexual and drug histories, we could gain insight into the routes of transmission among MSM. We used SGS to analyze blood specimens from eight HIV-infected MSM who had 10 episodes of acute (seronegative) or early HCV infections. Seven of eight men reported condomless receptive anal intercourse (CRAI), six with rectal exposure to semen, and all eight denied rectal trauma or bleeding. Of the 10 HCV infections, eight resulted from transmission of a single virus; one infection resulted from transmission of either one or a few (three or four) closely-related viruses; and one infection resulted from transmission of >10 distinct viruses. The participant infected by >10 viruses reported sharing injection equipment for methamphetamine during sex. Two other participants also injected methamphetamine during sex but they did not share injection equipment and were infected by a single virus. Conclusions: Most HCV infections of HIV-infected MSM without a history of either rectal trauma or bleeding or shared injection equipment were caused by a single virus. Intra-rectal exposure to semen during CRAI is therefore likely sufficient for HCV transmission among MSM. Conversely, rectal trauma or bleeding or shared injection equipment are not necessary for HCV transmission among MSM. These results help clarify routes of HCV transmission among MSM and can therefore help guide the design of much-needed behavioral and other interventions to prevent HCV transmission among MSM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kristen M. Marks
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Andrew H. Talal
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Wouter O. van Seggelen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Bisher Akil
- Chelsea Village Medical, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Asa Radix
- Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Shirish Huprikar
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Andrea D. Branch
- Division of Liver Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Shuyi Wang
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - George M. Shaw
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Daniel S. Fierer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
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Jacobson KB, Gaisa MM, Sigel K, Foster AL, Fierer DS. Anal Dysplasia in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Men Who Have Sex With Men With Sexually Acquired Early Hepatitis C Virus Infection. Open Forum Infect Dis 2019; 6:ofz339. [PMID: 31777754 PMCID: PMC6876538 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofz339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk of anorectal infection with high-risk human papillomavirus and subsequent high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), the putative precursor to anal cancer. Recently, an epidemic of sexually transmitted hepatitis C virus (HCV) has emerged that shares this anorectal route of transmission. We hypothesized that the prevalence of anal HSIL would be high in HIV-infected MSM with sexually acquired early HCV infection. Methods High-resolution anoscopy (HRA) findings from a cohort of HIV-infected MSM with sexually acquired early HCV infection were compared with HRA findings from a contemporary cohort of HIV-infected MSM without HCV infection who underwent HRA due to abnormal anal cytology found during routine screening. Results Sixty HIV-infected MSM with sexually acquired early HCV infection and the comparator group of 1150 HIV-infected MSM with abnormal anal cytology but without HCV underwent HRA. The HIV-infected MSM with sexually acquired early HCV had higher CD4 counts compared with the comparator group (656 and 541 cells/μL, respectively; P = .02). Despite this, the prevalence of anal dysplasia was as high among MSM with early HCV as in the comparator group of MSM with abnormal cytology (47 [78%] and 941 [82%], respectively; P = .50), as was the proportion with HSIL (25 [42%] and 379 [33%], respectively; P = .17). Conclusions The prevalence of anal dysplasia in HIV-infected MSM with sexually acquired early HCV infection was as high as that of HIV-infected MSM with abnormal anal cytology. These findings suggest that primary screening with HRA may be warranted for HIV-infected MSM with early HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen B Jacobson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Michael M Gaisa
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Keith Sigel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Andrew L Foster
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Daniel S Fierer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
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Palaniswami PM, El Sayed A, Asriel B, Carollo JR, Fierer DS. Ledipasvir and Sofosbuvir in the Treatment of Early Hepatitis C Virus Infection in HIV-Infected Men. Open Forum Infect Dis 2018; 5:ofy238. [PMID: 30349848 PMCID: PMC6189631 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofy238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment of HIV-infected men during early hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with interferon results in a higher cure rate with a shorter duration of treatment than during chronic HCV infection. We recently demonstrated that this phenomenon applied to interferon-free treatment as well, curing most participants with short-course sofosbuvir and ribavirin. Due to the significantly higher potency of the ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) combination, we hypothesized that we would be more successful in curing early HCV infections using a shorter course of LDV/SOF than that used for treating chronic HCV infections. METHODS We performed a prospective, open-label, consecutive case series study of 8 weeks of LDV/SOF in HIV-infected men with early genotype 1 HCV infection. The primary end point was aviremia at least 12 weeks after completion of treatment. RESULTS We treated 25 HIV-infected men with early sexually acquired HCV infection with 8 weeks of LDV/SOF, and all 25 (100%) were cured. Twelve (48%) reported sexualized drug use with methamphetamine. CONCLUSIONS Eight weeks of LDV/SOF cured all 25 HIV-infected men with early HCV infection, including those who were actively using drugs. Based on these results, we recommend treatment of newly HCV-infected men during early infection, regardless of drug use, to both take advantage of this 8-week treatment and to decrease further HCV transmission among this group of men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paari M Palaniswami
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Ahmed El Sayed
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Benjamin Asriel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Jesse R Carollo
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Daniel S Fierer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
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El Sayed A, Barbati ZR, Turner SS, Foster AL, Morey T, Dieterich DT, Fierer DS. Sofosbuvir in the treatment of early HCV infection in HIV-infected men. HIV CLINICAL TRIALS 2017; 18:60-66. [PMID: 28183221 DOI: 10.1080/15284336.2017.1280594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is an international epidemic of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among HIV-infected men who have sex with men. We previously showed that adding telaprevir to pegylated interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) both shortened treatment and increased the cure rate of early HCV in these men. Whether shortening treatment of early HCV using IFN-free regimens would be similarly successful has not yet been demonstrated. METHODS We performed a pilot study of treatment with sofosbuvir (SOF) + RBV for 12 weeks in early genotype 1 HCV infection in HIV-infected men. The primary endpoint was SVR 12. RESULTS Twelve men were treated with 12 weeks SOF + RBV and 11 (92%) achieved SVR 12. Most (63%) were actively using recreational drugs, mostly methamphetamine. The one man who failed had laboratory results more characteristic of chronic than of early HCV infection. The overall safety profile was similar to that known for SOF + RBV. CONCLUSIONS The success of this short-duration IFN-free treatment in early HCV infection is proof in principle that enhanced treatment responsiveness is an inherent characteristic of early HCV infection and not a function of IFN treatment itself. Future studies should now be done with more potent regimens to try to further shorten therapy. In the mean time, in clinical practice early HCV infection should be treated immediately after detection to take advantage of short-duration treatments, as well as to decrease further HCV transmission among HIV-infected MSM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed El Sayed
- a Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Zachary R Barbati
- a Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Samuel S Turner
- a Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Andrew L Foster
- a Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Tristan Morey
- a Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Douglas T Dieterich
- b Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Daniel S Fierer
- a Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
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