Seroepidemiology of HIV, syphilis, Hepatitis B and C in intravenous drug users at Loghman Hakim hospital

Intravenous drug using is a main risk factor for getting infected with HIV,Hepatitis B and C viruses. The syphilis is a common infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the seroepidemiology of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C among the intravenous drug users (IDUs) at Loghman Hakim hospital, Tehran. A descriptive (cross- sectional) study with observative-interview technique was conducted. 70 admitted IDUs patients in Loghman Hakim hospital during July- December 2007 were included in this study. The patients with mean of age 34.4+/- 9.6 and mean of oral drug 66.15+/- 82.5 months, mean of intravenous drug 48.94+/-48.46 months, mean of inhalation drug 87.05+/- 84.14 months were studied. 74.5% of the patients had been in prison and 11.5% of them shared syringe. The positive results obtained for the serological tests of 70 patients were in the following order: Anti- HCV (36%), Anti-HIV (30%), HBsAb (11.5%) and HBsAg (6%). None of the patients was positive in RPR test. There was no significant correlations between the routes of using drug, history in prison and results of serology.Importantly, a significant correlation was found between the sharing syringe and positivity for Anti-HCV by itself or co-infection of HCV with HIV. HCV is the most common infection among the intravenous drug users followed by HIV and Hepatitis B. A lack of RPR shows infection with syphilis is under ontrol.