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Dig Dis Sci (2013) 58:33423347 DOI 10.1007/s10620-013-2884-6
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Less-Established Risk Factors Are Common in Asian Americans with Hepatitis C Virus: A CaseControlled Study
Kevin C. Kin Brian Lin Kevin T. Chaung Nghiem B. Ha
Huy N. Trinh Ruel T. Garcia Huy A. Nguyen Khanh K. Nguyen
Brian S. Levitt Eduardo B. da Silveira Mindie H. Nguyen
Received: 3 July 2013 / Accepted: 10 September 2013 / Published online: 1 October 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
AbstractBackground and Aims The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in patients with injection drug use, blood transfusion before 1992, stigmata of liver disease, or born between 1945 and 1965. The purpose of this study was to examine risk factors for HCV acquisition in Asian Americans. Methods This was a casecontrolled study, with 471 consecutive patients testing positive for anti-HCV between January 2001 and December 2008. Controls included 471 patients with negative HCV matched at a one-to-one ratio for sex, age (5 years), and ethnicity.
Results For Asian patients, the most common risk factors were blood transfusion and acupuncture or exposure to
dirty needles (27 and 20 %, respectively). On multiple logistic regression, potential predictors for a positive anti-HCV test in Asians were acupuncture or exposure to dirty needles (OR = 12.9, P \ 0.0001), body tattoo (OR = 12.0,
P = 0.001), and history of blood transfusion (OR = 5.7, P \ 0.0001).
Discussion Acupuncture and exposure to dirty needles are independent risk factors of HCV infection. Asians coming from endemic areas should be screened for HCV even when commonly-known risk factors for Western patients are not present.
Keywords Hepatitis C Asian American Risk
factors Screening
K. C. Kin B. Lin K. T. Chaung N. B. Ha H. N. Trinh
Pacic Health Foundation, San Jose, CA, USA e-mail: [email protected]
B. Line-mail: [email protected]
K. T. Chaunge-mail: [email protected]
N. B. Hae-mail: [email protected]
H. N. Trinhe-mail: [email protected]
K. C. KinCollege of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University Nevada, Henderson, NV, USA
N. B. Ha M. H. Nguyen (&)
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University Medical Center, 750 Welch Road, Suite 210, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USAe-mail: [email protected]
H. N. Trinh R. T. Garcia H. A. Nguyen
K. K. Nguyen B. S. Levitt...