Mutual Predators: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study to Identify Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 Mono and Co-Infection

Coinfection, bacterial or viral origin, in HIV infected individuals remains to be the only leading cause of deaths. This study was designed to analyze received plasma samples and plasma samples of referred patients for HIV testing to detect HIV and HCV mono and co-infection by real time PCR and finding co-relation of viral load of both viruses. Highlight and magnify the hidden coinfection, prior to seroconversion, of HIV type-1 and Hepatitis C Virus in received samples. Methods Analyses were based on randomly selected 78 patients stored plasmas. Plasma samples were tested for both, HIV-type 1 and HCV viral RNA by real time PCR. Statistical formulas were used to identify mean and the inter quartile range of patients age. The data were analyzed by IBM SPSS Statistics 21 (SPSS Inc. , Chicago, IL). Study variables include gender, age and viral loads of HIV type-1 and HCV. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate any correlation in study variables. Result Prevalence of HCV was 10.3 %, HIV-type 1 was 19.2 % and their co-infection was 37.2 percent. Thirty three percent individuals had no infection of both viruses. Gender based distribution showed that 74.4 % (58/78) sample population was male. The mono-infection and co-infection was higher in males (39.7 %) and highest viral load too. There was a positive correlation (CI= 95 %) between the two variables, HIV and HCV viral loads, as r = 0.736, n=29, p= 0.001. Conclusion Prevalence of HIV type-1 and HCV mono-infection and co-infection was higher among males as compared to females. Increased viral load was also evident among male co-infected individuals. This study proved the emergence of HCV coinfection in HIV infected individuals, and a need for on time diagnosis and treatment.