Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
|---|
| self-reported participation in voluntary nonprescription syringe sales in california's central valley. | california senate bill 41 (sb41), effective january 2012, is a human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis c virus prevention measure designed to expand syringe access among injection drug users (idus) by allowing pharmacies to sell syringes without a prescription. this study assesses self-reported implementation of sb41 and characterizes barriers amenable to intervention. | 2017 | 28807658 |
| cross-border injection drug use and hiv and hepatitis c virus seropositivity among people who inject drugs in san diego, california. | the prevalence of hiv and hepatitis c virus (hcv) are significantly lower among people who inject drugs (pwid) in san diego, ca, usa compared with pwid in tijuana, mexico, located directly across the border. we investigated associations between cross-border injection drug use (idu), hiv and hcv seroprevalence and engagement in injecting risk behaviours while on each side of the border. | 2017 | 28683432 |
| hepatitis c virus prevalence in egyptian americans in southern california. | hepatitis c virus (hcv) is a global medical health concern. egypt has the highest hcv prevalence. few studies have assessed the hcv prevalence rates among egyptian-born expatriates. we sought to define the hcv prevalence egyptian-born individuals residing in the southern california area. | 2017 | 28617761 |
| associations of criminal justice and substance use treatment involvement with hiv/hcv testing and the hiv treatment cascade among people who use drugs in oakland, california. | people who smoke crack cocaine and people who inject drugs are at-risk for criminal justice involvement as well as hiv and hcv infection. compared to criminal justice involvement, substance use treatment (sut) can be cost-effective in reducing drug use and its associated health and social costs. we conducted a cross-sectional study of people who smoke crack cocaine and people who inject drugs to examine the association between incarceration, community supervision and substance use treatment with ... | 2017 | 28610602 |
| pharmacists performing hepatitis c antibody point-of-care screening in a community pharmacy: a pilot project. | to describe the first community pharmacy-based hepatitis c antibody (hcv-ab) point-of-care (poc) screening program and its outcomes in california. | 2017 | 28602784 |
| down in the valley: trajectories of injection initiation among young injectors in california's central valley. | injection drug use initiation represents a critical point of public health intervention, as injection increases risk for blood borne infections including hepatitis c and hiv. in this paper, we explore pathways to injection initiation among youth (≤30) in the rural context of california's central valley, where rates of injection drug use are among the highest in the nation. | 2017 | 28458170 |
| the role of e-health in optimizing task-shifting in the delivery of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis c. | recently, we reported the successful application of task-shifting to improve the management of patients with chronic hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection receiving treatment with direct-acting antiviral (daa) agents in underserved areas of california. we assessed the impact of e-health on task-shifting in our treatment model. | 2017 | 28375820 |
| mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among persons who inject drugs in san diego, california. | persons who inject drugs (pwid) might be at increased risk for mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and reactivation of latent tuberculous infection (ltbi) due to their injection drug use. | 2017 | 28284258 |
| hcv screening in a cohort of hiv infected and uninfected homeless and marginally housed women in san francisco, california. | hepatitis c virus (hcv) screening has taken on new importance as a result of updated guidelines and new curative therapies. relatively few studies have assessed hcv infection in homeless populations, and a minority include women. we assessed prevalence and correlates of hcv exposure in a cohort of homeless and unstably housed women in san francisco, and estimated the proportion undiagnosed. | 2017 | 28173785 |
| hiv transmission and injection drug use: lessons from the indiana outbreak. | a recent outbreak of hiv infection centered in the rural town of austin in scott county, indiana, was associated with widespread injection drug use and a socio-economically depressed population. control of the outbreak required coordinated efforts by state, federal, local, and academic institutions to implement and maintain on-site programs and services that included contact tracing, hiv and hepatitis c virus testing, insurance enrollment, syringe exchange, rehabilitation services, care coordina ... | 2017 | 27841978 |
| the redesign of consumer cost sharing for specialty drugs at the california health insurance exchange. | this paper describes the redesign of health benefits at covered california-the nation's largest health insurance exchange, which covers 1.3 million individuals, and its benefit designs extending to hundreds of thousands more enrollees through insurance products sold outside the exchange-with respect to specialty drugs for the 2016 enrollment year. the catalyst for benefit redesign came from advocacy organizations representing patients suffering from hiv, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, hepatitis c ... | 2016 | 27270158 |
| notes from the field: investigation of hepatitis c virus transmission associated with injection therapy for chronic pain - california, 2015. | on november 26, 2014, the california department of public health (cdph) contacted cdc concerning a report from the santa barbara county public health department (sbphd) regarding acute hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection in a repeat blood donor. the patient, who was asymptomatic, was first alerted of the infection by the blood bank and had no traditional risk factors for hcv infection. the donor had a negative hcv nucleic acid test (nat) 56 days before the first positive nat test, and an investiga ... | 2016 | 27254396 |
| increasing hepatitis b testing and linkage to care of foreign-born asians, sacramento, california, 2012-2013. | without medical intervention, about one-quarter of the 1.4-2.2 million americans chronically infected with the hepatitis b virus (hbv) will die of hbv-associated conditions, including liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. we report on a program in sacramento county, california, that offered hbv screening to at-risk adults, referred infected individuals to care, and vaccinated uninfected adults who were susceptible to hbv infection (i.e., individuals who tested negative for hepatitis b surf ... | 2017 | 27168671 |
| the significance of harm reduction as a social and health care intervention for injecting drug users: an exploratory study of a needle exchange program in fresno, california. | infectious disease remains a significant social and health concern in the united states. preventing more people from contracting hiv/aids or hepatitis c (hcv), requires a complex understanding of the interconnection between the biomedical and social dimensions of infectious disease. opiate addiction in the us has skyrocketed in recent years. preventing more cases of hiv/aids and hcv will require dealing with the social determinants of health. needle exchange programs (neps) are based on a harm r ... | 2017 | 27167664 |
| hepatitis c screening rate among underserved adults with serious mental illness receiving care in california community mental health centers. | although hcv is more prevalent among people with severe mental illness (smi; e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) than in the general population (17% vs 1%), no large previous studies have examined hcv screening in this population. in this cross-sectional study, we examined administrative data for 57 170 california medicaid enrollees with smi to identify prevalence and predictors of hcv screening from october 2010 through september 2011. only 4.7% (2674 of 57 170) received hcv screening, with ... | 2016 | 26890183 |
| awareness of hepatitis c virus seropositivity and chronic infection in the hispanic community health study/study of latinos (hchs/sol). | few population-based studies have assessed awareness of hepatitis c virus (hcv) seropositivity and chronic infection. we report awareness of hcv seropositivity and chronic infection and correlates of awareness in a multi-city (bronx, miami, chicago, and san diego) community-dwelling population sample of united states (us) hispanics/latinos recruited during 2008-2011. included were 260 hcv-seropositive participants, among whom 190 had chronic hcv. among those with chronic hcv, 46 % had been told ... | 2016 | 26864380 |
| hcv prevalence in asian americans in california. | the world health organization estimates that 170 million persons are infected with hcv worldwide, but only 22 million are from the americas and europe, compared to 94 million from asia. hcv prevalence in the general us population is 1.6 %, but data for asian americans are limited. our goal was to examine hcv prevalence in asian americans in a large ethnically diverse patient cohort seeking primary care at a free clinic in northern california. a total of 1347 consecutive patients were seen from s ... | 2017 | 26798070 |
| low prevalence of hepatitis c co-infection in recently hiv-infected minority men who have sex with men in los angeles: a cross-sectional study. | geographic and sociodemographic characterization of hepatitis c virus (hcv) transmission amongst men who have sex with men (msm) has been limited. our aim was to characterize hcv prevalence, risk factors for hcv co-infection, and patterns of hiv and hcv co-transmission and transmitted drug resistance mutations (drms) in newly hiv-diagnosed los angeles msm. | 2015 | 26590028 |
| prevalence and correlates of the use of prefilled syringes among persons who inject drugs in san diego, ca. | persons who inject drugs (pwid) are at increased risk for blood-borne virus (bbv) infections and overdose resulting from high-risk injecting practices. studies of prefilled syringe use ([pfsu] using a syringe that already contained drug solution when it was obtained by the user), an injection practice previously described in eastern europe, suggest that it increases susceptibility to bbv. however, little is known about this practice in the usa. data were obtained from an ongoing cohort study of ... | 2015 | 26382653 |
| hepatitis c infection among hispanics in california. | hispanics in california are more likely to be infected with hepatitis c, and those infected have had their infection detected later. a total of 1,567 hispanic and caucasian individuals were tested for antibodies to hepatitis c from 2000 through 2013. interviewers administered the risk behavior assessment. hepatitis c-infected hispanics were incarcerated longer than hepatitis c-infected caucasians, and they used marijuana less and illicit methadone more. they were more likely to use crack, heroin ... | 2015 | 26372008 |
| characteristics of aa amyloidosis patients in san francisco. | aa amyloidosis due to subcutaneous injection of drugs of abuse has been described in the usa, but all the existing literature is from more than 20 years ago. there is more recent literature from europe. we have observed a high incidence of aa amyloidosis in the county hospital in san francisco. | 2016 | 26370715 |
| effect of legal status of pharmacy syringe sales on syringe purchases by persons who inject drugs in san francisco and san diego, ca. | sharing blood-contaminated syringes is the main risk factor for acquiring and transmitting blood-borne infections among persons who inject drugs (pwid). to reduce this risk, in 2005, california enacted legislation allowing local health jurisdictions to legalize non-prescription syringe sales after approving a disease prevention demonstration project (dpdp). with san francisco approving a dpdp immediately and san diego never approving one, we compared pwid across cities for their use of pharmacie ... | 2015 | 26252980 |
| comparative clinical effectiveness and value of novel interferon-free combination therapy for hepatitis c genotype 1: summary of california technology assessment forum report. | 2015 | 26167717 | |
| differences in response to antiretroviral therapy by sex and hepatitis c infection status. | hepatitis c virus (hcv) co-infection and biological sex may each affect response to antiretroviral therapy (art), yet no studies have examined hiv-associated outcomes by both hcv status and sex. we conducted a cohort study of hiv-infected adults initiating art in kaiser permanente california during 1996-2011. we used piecewise linear regression to assess cd4 changes by sex and hcv status over 5 years. we used cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (hr) by sex and hcv status for hiv rna <500 co ... | 2015 | 26061798 |
| trends in use of health care and hiv prevention services for persons who inject drugs in san francisco: results from national hiv behavioral surveillance 2005-2012. | multiple developments addressing health of people who inject drugs (pwids) in san francisco were initiated from 2003 to 2012, including expanded health care coverage, syringe access, hiv testing and universal hiv treatment. | 2015 | 25468816 |
| intimate injection partnerships are at elevated risk of high-risk injecting: a multi-level longitudinal study of hcv-serodiscordant injection partnerships in san francisco, ca. | it is increasingly recognized that the risk for hiv and hepatitis c (hcv) transmission among people who inject drugs (pwid), such as syringe sharing, occurs in the context of relationships between (at least) two people. evidence suggests that the risk associated with injection behavior varies with injection partner types. | 2014 | 25286346 |
| concordance of risk behavior reporting within hcv serodiscordant injecting partnerships of young injection drug users in san francisco, ca. | young injection drug users (idu, under age 30) often inject with other idu, creating an environment for risk of blood-borne disease transmission through sharing of needles and drug preparation equipment. epidemiologic studies rely on self reported injection behavior data for measures of transmission risk, therefore we sought to quantify the degree of concordance of reported injecting risk behaviors between injecting dyads. | 2014 | 25034898 |
| individual and socio-environmental factors associated with unsafe injection practices among young adult injection drug users in san diego. | unsafe injection practices significantly increase the risk of hepatitis c virus (hcv) and human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) infection among injection drug users (idus). we examined individual and socio-environmental factors associated with unsafe injection practices in young adult idus in san diego, california. of 494 idus, 46.9 % reported receptive syringe sharing and 68.8 % sharing drug preparation paraphernalia in the last 3 months. unsafe injection practices were associated with increased o ... | 2015 | 24920342 |
| evaluating the impact of mexico's drug policy reforms on people who inject drugs in tijuana, b.c., mexico, and san diego, ca, united states: a binational mixed methods research agenda. | policymakers and researchers seek answers to how liberalized drug policies affect people who inject drugs (pwid). in response to concerns about the failing "war on drugs," mexico recently implemented drug policy reforms that partially decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use while promoting drug treatment. recognizing important epidemiologic, policy, and socioeconomic differences between the united states-where possession of any psychoactive drugs without a prescripti ... | 2014 | 24520885 |
| prevalence and presentation of hepatitis b and c virus (hbv and hcv) infection in vietnamese americans via serial community serologic testing. | the prevalence of hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection is reportedly high in vietnamese americans (vas), but most previous studies did not assess full hbv serology, and not the prevalence of hbv and hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection simultaneously. the aim of the study is to assess the prevalence of different hbv serologies and hcv infection in vas. this study was based on the data collected by testing for hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag), anti-hepatitis b core antibody (hbcab igg), anti-hbs ant ... | 2015 | 24474437 |
| a pharmacist-managed telemedicine clinic for hepatitis c care: a descriptive analysis. | we established a pharmacist-led telemedicine clinic to manage patients with chronic hepatitis c infection. the clinic used individual pharmacist-to-patient consultations. there was also a group hepatitis c patient education class. the hepatitis c telemedicine service began in february 2011 and was available at three remote sites (santa maria, bakersfield and east los angeles) from the main site in west los angeles. a total of 96 patients were seen through telemedicine in the first nine months. a ... | 2014 | 24414398 |
| epidemiology of the viral hepatitis-hiv syndemic in san francisco: a collaborative surveillance approach. | to describe the epidemiology of people coinfected with hepatitis b virus (hbv) or hepatitis c virus (hcv) and hiv in san francisco, the san francisco department of public health's communicable disease control and prevention section and the hiv epidemiology section collaborated to link their registries. | 2017 | 24385655 |
| clinical outcomes of hepatitis c treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin via telemedicine consultation in northern california. | patients in rural communities are less likely to receive treatment for their hepatitis c (hcv) infection. telemedicine (tm) consultation can close the gap of access to specialists in remote and under-served areas. | 2013 | 24154637 |
| hospitalizations due to hepatitis c in los angeles county, 2007-2009: case characteristics and factors associated with mortality. | morbidity and mortality due to hepatitis c (hcv) infection are rising in the united states as the highest risk cohort (those born between 1945 and 1965) ages. it is important for governments and healthcare providers to have timely, readily obtainable data to estimate the burden of hcv locally. demographic factors, hospital charges and comorbid conditions were summarized for los angeles county (lac) residents who had at least one hospitalization in california during 2007-2009 with hcv as a primar ... | 2013 | 23910647 |
| explaining differences in hepatitis c between u.s. veterans and nonveterans in treatment for substance abuse: results from a regression decomposition. | hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection is common among people with substance abuse histories and a burden for u.s. veterans in particular. this study compares self-reported hcv between 1,652 veterans and 48,013 nonveterans who received public-sector substance abuse treatment in los angeles between 2006 and 2010. a higher percentage of veterans than nonveterans reported hcv (6.5% vs. 3.8%, p < .0001). homelessness and mental illness explained, respectively, 8.6% and 7.1% of the difference in hcv betwe ... | 2013 | 23869458 |
| correlates of hiv and hcv risk and testing among chinese, filipino, and vietnamese men who have sex with men and other at-risk men. | asian americans are one of the more under-researched groups in the united states. this holds true with regard to research on risk assessment, screening, and testing for human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) and hepatitis c (hcv). here, we address that lack by exploring correlates of risk and testing for the two diseases among chinese, filipino, and vietnamese men who have sex with men (msm) and other at-risk men in the san francisco bay area. we do so by analyzing findings from the study of a commu ... | 2013 | 23631718 |
| the association between law enforcement encounters and syringe sharing among idus on skid row: a mixed methods analysis. | the legal environment is one factor that influences injection drug users' (idus) risk for hiv and other bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis c virus (hcv). we examined the association between law enforcement encounters (i.e., arrests and citations) and receptive syringe sharing among idus in the context of an intensified policing effort. we conducted a mixed methods analysis of 30 qualitative and 187 quantitative interviews with idus accessing services at a los angeles, ca syringe exchange pro ... | 2013 | 23620243 |
| coinfection with hepatitis b and d: epidemiology, prevalence and disease in patients in northern california. | with no report on the overall prevalence and ramifications of hepatitis delta virus (hdv) infection in the united states for more than two decades, the characteristics of chronic hepatitis b virus (chb) patients coinfected with hdv, including clinical presentation, rate of hepatitis c virus tri-infection, and hdv viral load, were assessed. | 2013 | 23574043 |
| hepatitis c infection among men who have sex with men, san francisco, 2011. | serum specimens collected during the 2011 round of national hiv behavioral surveillance among men who have sex with men in san francisco were tested for hepatitis c virus antibodies. hepatitis c virus infection was found among men who have sex with men with a history of intravenous drug use and those who were already human immunodeficiency virus infected. | 2012 | 23191955 |
| distribution of hepatitis c virus genotypes in a diverse us integrated health care population. | hepatitis c virus (hcv) genotypes influence response to therapy, and recently approved direct-acting antivirals are genotype-specific. genotype distribution information can help to guide antiviral development and elucidate infection patterns. hcv genotype distributions were studied in a diverse cross-section of patients in the northern california kaiser permanente health plan. associations between genotype and race/ethnicity, age, and sex were assessed with multivariate logistic regression model ... | 2012 | 22997077 |
| hcv infection prevalence lower than expected among 18-40-year-old injection drug users in san diego, ca. | san diego, california shares the world's busiest land border crossing with tijuana, mexico-a city where 95 % of injection drug users (idus) test hepatitis c virus (hcv) antibody-positive. yet, little is known about the prevalence and risk behaviors for hcv among idus in san diego. in 2009-2010, 18-40-year-old idus in san diego county completed a risk assessment interview and serologic testing for hcv and hiv infection. recruitment involved respondent-driven sampling, venue-based sampling at a sy ... | 2013 | 22766605 |
| prevalence, distribution, and correlates of hepatitis c virus infection among homeless adults in los angeles. | we documented the prevalence, distribution, and correlates of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection among urban homeless adults. | 2017 | 22753984 |
| risk of hip fracture associated with hepatitis c virus infection and hepatitis c/human immunodeficiency virus coinfection. | hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection has been associated with reduced bone mineral density, but its association with fracture rates is unknown, particularly in the setting of human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) coinfection. our aims were to determine whether persons with hcv infection alone are at increased risk for hip fracture, compared to uninfected individuals, and to examine whether the risk of hip fracture is higher among hcv/hiv-coinfected persons, compared to those with hcv alone, those with ... | 2012 | 22619086 |
| provider and patient correlates of provider decisions to recommend hcv treatment to hiv co-infected patients. | despite low uptake of hepatitis c virus (hcv) treatment among hiv co-infected patients, few studies have examined the factors that contribute to provider decisions to recommend treatment. surveys of 173 co-infected patients and their primary care providers, as well as patient chart data, were collected at 3 hiv clinics in los angeles; 73% of the patients had any history of being recommended hcv treatment. multivariate predictors of being offered treatment included being caucasian, greater hcv kn ... | 2016 | 22564797 |
| field-based performance of three pre-market rapid hepatitis c virus antibody assays in stahr (study to assess hepatitis c risk) among young adults who inject drugs in san diego, ca. | approximately 4.1 million americans are estimated to have been infected with hepatitis c virus (hcv), 45-85% of whom are unaware of their infection. persons who inject drugs (pwid) account for 55.8% of all persons with hcv antibody (anti-hcv) in the u.s. pwid have limited access to healthcare and are infrequently tested for anti-hcv using conventional laboratory assays. | 2012 | 22560051 |
| the association between use of non-injection drug implements and hepatitis c virus antibody status in homeless and marginally housed persons in san francisco. | up to 17,000 persons in the usa became infected with hepatitis c virus (hcv) in 2007, and many cases have unknown transmission routes. to date research on transmission of hcv via shared implements used to snort or smoke non-injection drugs has been inconclusive. | 2012 | 22451327 |
| substance use among chinese, filipino, and vietnamese adult men living in san jose, daly city, and san francisco, and its implications on atod prevention services. | this intervention study collected data on chinese, filipino, and vietnamese high-risk adults to ascertain similarities and differences in drug use patterns. study participants (n = 126) participated in a 5-week intervention study to mitigate substance abuse and the prevalence of hepatitis c and hiv among high-risk adults in san francisco, san mateo, and santa clara counties of california. data reported were collected at baseline. the national outcome measures questionnaire was used to document i ... | 2012 | 22381125 |
| prospective study of risk factors for hepatitis c virus acquisition by caucasian, hispanic, and asian american patients. | commonly known risk factors for infection with hepatitis c virus (hcv) include blood transfusion, injection drug use, intranasal cocaine use, and body tattoos. we hypothesized that asian americans infected with hcv may not identify with these established risk factors present in caucasians and hispanics, and our aim was to conduct a survey of risk factors in hcv-infected patients in these ethnic groups. in this prospective study, 494 patients infected with hcv completed a detailed risk assessment ... | 2011 | 22239506 |
| risk factors for liver disease and associated knowledge and practices among mexican adults in the us and mexico. | latinos in the us are disproportionately affected by chronic liver disease, which is the sixth most common cause of death among this group. in mexico, cirrhosis and other liver diseases are the fourth leading cause of general mortality. the objective of this study was to contrast the liver disease risk factors, knowledge, and prevention practices reported among separate samples of mexicans living in los angeles, ca and in cuernavaca, mexico. we assessed the prevalence of specific risk factors (b ... | 2012 | 21877109 |
| changes in depressive symptoms and impact on treatment course among hepatitis c patients undergoing interferon-+¦ and ribavirin therapy: a prospective evaluation. | objectives:accounting for severity of depressive symptoms at baseline (pretreatment), this study describes (i) depressive symptom change over the course of antiviral treatment among patients with hepatitis c virus (hcv), and (ii) the relationship of such symptom change to treatment duration and response.methods:depressive symptoms, measured with the beck depression inventory (bdi), were examined prospectively among 129 hcv patients (95% male) who endorsed minimal (n=91), mild (n=28), or moderate ... | 2011 | 21826113 |
| temporal changes in hcv genotype distribution in three different high risk populations in san francisco, california. | abstract: background: hepatitis c virus (hcv) genotype (gt) has become an important measure in the diagnosis and monitoring of hcv infection treatment. in the united states (u.s.) hcv gt 1 is reported as the most common infecting gt among chronically infected patients. in europe, however, recent studies have suggested that the epidemiology of hcv gts is changing. methods: we assessed hcv gt distribution in 460 patients from three hcv-infected high risk populations in san francisco, and examined ... | 2011 | 21810243 |
| prevalence of hepatitis c virus antibody in newborn infants in southern california in 2003. | the prevalence of hepatitis c virus (hcv) antibody in newborn infants in 3 counties in southern california in 2003 was found to be 2.5 per 1000 live births using dried blood spot testing. with advances in hcv antiviral therapy providing decreasing morbidity from chronic hcv infection, prenatal hcv screening to identify both mothers and at-risk infants should be reconsidered. | 2011 | 21394051 |
| randomized controlled trial of pegylated interferon-alfa 2a and ribavirin in treatment-naive chronic hepatitis c genotype 6. | hepatitis c virus (hcv) genotype is an important criteria in determining duration of therapy and predictor of sustained virologic response (svr) to pegylated interferon (peg ifn) and ribavirin (rbv) therapy. optimal duration of therapy for patients with hcv genotype 6 is not known. we conducted a multicenter, open-label randomized controlled trial of patients with hcv genotype 6 at five gastroenterology clinics in the western u.s. patients were stratified by viral load and histologic stage and a ... | 2010 | 21038410 |
| hepatitis c prevalence among hiv-positive msm in san francisco: 2004 and 2008. | recent reports suggest the potential for an epidemic of hepatitis c among nonintravenous drug-using hiv-positive men who have sex with men. hiv-positive specimens from surveillance surveys in 2004 and 2008 were tested for hcv antibodies. among noninjection drug using men who have sex with men, hcv prevalence was 8.7% and 4.5% in 2004 and 2008, respectively. there was no evidence of a change in hcv prevalence between 2004 and 2008. | 2011 | 20938373 |
| clinical presentation of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) in asian-americans versus non-asian-americans. | the incidence of hcc is rising worldwide. studies on ethnicity-based clinical presentation of hcc remain limited. the aim is to compare the clinical presentation and stage of hcc between asian-americans and non-asian-americans. this retrospective study assessed ethnicity-based differences in hcc presentation, including demographics, laboratory results, diagnosis of underlying liver disease, and stage of hcc. of 276 patients, 162 were asian-americans and 114 were non-asian-americans. compared to ... | 2010 | 20890660 |
| comparing respondent-driven sampling and targeted sampling methods of recruiting injection drug users in san francisco. | the objective of this article is to compare demographic characteristics, risk behaviors, and service utilization among injection drug users (idus) recruited from two separate studies in san francisco in 2005, one which used targeted sampling (ts) and the other which used respondent-driven sampling (rds). idus were recruited using ts (n = 651) and rds (n = 534) and participated in quantitative interviews that included demographic characteristics, risk behaviors, and service utilization. prevalenc ... | 2010 | 20582573 |
| comparison of surrogate and direct measurement of insulin resistance in chronic hepatitis c virus infection: impact of obesity and ethnicity. | studies using surrogate estimates show high prevalence of insulin resistance in hepatitis c infection. this study prospectively evaluated the correlation between surrogate and directly measured estimates of insulin resistance and the impact of obesity and ethnicity on this relationship. eighty-six nondiabetic, noncirrhotic patients with hepatitis c virus (age = 48 +/- 7 years, 74% male, 44% white, 22% african american, 26% latino, 70% genotype 1) were categorized into normal-weight (body mass in ... | 2010 | 20578127 |
| pharmacy participation in non-prescription syringe sales in los angeles and san francisco counties, 2007. | increasing sterile syringe access for injection drug users (idus) is one way to prevent hiv and hepatitis c virus (hcv) transmission in this population. in 2005, california senate bill 1159 allowed counties to adopt the disease prevention demonstration project (dpdp). where enacted, the dpdp allows pharmacies that register with the county to sell up to ten syringes to adults without a prescription. in the current study, we describe pharmacy participation in nonprescription syringe sales (npss) i ... | 2010 | 20549568 |
| chronic hepatitis c in the state prison system: insights into the problems and possible solutions. | the prevalence of chronic hepatitis c virus (hcv) within the correctional system is estimated to be 10-20-times greater than that which is reported in the general population. high-risk behavioral patterns probably account for the greater estimates in this population. recent observations of more than 780 patient-inmates infected with hcv within the california department of corrections suggest a very high prevalence of advanced fibrosis in this population. observational studies performed in texas ... | 2010 | 20528122 |
| response to pegylated interferon and ribavirin in asian american patients with chronic hepatitis c genotypes 1 vs 2/3 vs 6. | chronic hepatitis c is generally underappreciated in asian americans, and most pivotal studies were conducted in western countries and only included a small numbers of asian patients. our goal was to examine and compare treatment outcomes in these patients with genotypes 1 vs 2/3 vs 6. we performed a retrospective cohort study of 167 consecutive treatment-naïve asian american patients treated with pegylated interferon (peg ifn) plus ribavirin (rbv) at two community clinics in northern california ... | 2010 | 20002562 |
| treat early or wait and monitor? a qualitative analysis of provider hepatitis c virus treatment decision-making in the context of hiv coinfection. | liver disease is a leading cause of death among patients with hiv coinfected with hepatitis c (hcv); yet, studies show that less than 10% receive hcv treatment, in part because of limited treatment response, high treatment toxicity, and psychosocial barriers to treatment readiness. using a process model framework, we sought to explore the factors and processes by which providers make hcv treatment decisions for hiv-coinfected patients. we conducted 22 semistructured interviews with primary care ... | 2009 | 19663714 |
| risk behaviors after hepatitis c virus seroconversion in young injection drug users in san francisco. | the rationale for screening populations at risk for hepatitis c virus infection (hcv) includes the possibility of altering risk behaviors that impact disease progression and transmission. this study prospectively examined young injection drug users (idu) to determine if behaviors changed after they were made aware of hcv seroconversion. | 2009 | 19647375 |
| milan criteria versus san francisco criteria in hepatocellular carcinoma: our center's experience. | liver transplantation (olt) represents the best treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) in advanced cirrhosis showing a 70% 5-year survival rate. our study sought to compare overall survivals among patients who underwent olt under milan criteria (mc) or san francisco criteria (ucsfc). | 2009 | 19376413 |
| viral rna testing in hepatitis c antibody-positive veterans. | chronic hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection affects approximately 1.3% of the u.s. population. as up to 30% of hcv-antibody (anti-hcv)-positive patients have negative hcv ribonucleic acid (rna), indicating resolution of infection, va (veterans affairs) guidelines recommend rna testing on all anti-hcv-positive patients. as hcv rna testing is a prequel to treatment, perceived eligibility for treatment may influence the decision to order an rna test. this study was designed to determine the patient a ... | 2009 | 19162434 |
| the evaluation of patients with hepatitis c living in rural california via telemedicine. | patients with hepatitis c who live in rural and low socioeconomic communities often lack access to specialty care. over the past 7 years, we have provided telemedicine consultations at the peach tree clinic, located in rural northern california. we performed a retrospective analysis of our experience. during this time period we provided consultations for 103 patients with hepatitis c; 37% had cirrhosis, and 64% had never undergone therapy with interferon and ribavirin. twenty-three percent of th ... | 2008 | 19119836 |
| alcohol use reduction program in methadone maintained individuals with hepatitis c virus infection. | the purpose of this article was to investigate the personal and social barriers experienced by methadone maintained clients when seeking treatment for alcohol abuse along with strategies for engaging such clients in treatment programs. a qualitative design using semi-structured focus groups was used to obtain the perspectives of 41 methadone-maintained clients in los angeles, california. sessions were recorded, transcribed, and content-analyzed. attitudes of health care providers were considered ... | 2008 | 19042588 |
| provision and use of personal protective equipment and safety devices in the national study to prevent blood exposure in paramedics. | paramedics are at risk for human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis b virus, and hepatitis c virus infection from occupational blood exposure. this study examined how often paramedics are provided with personal protective equipment (ppe), sharps containers, and selected safety devices by their employers; the frequency with which paramedics use sharps containers and these safety devices; and paramedics' attitudes regarding this equipment. | 2008 | 18834754 |
| prevalence of infection with hepatitis b and c viruses and co-infection with hiv in three jails: a case for viral hepatitis prevention in jails in the united states. | hepatitis b vaccination and targeted testing for hepatitis c virus (hcv) are recommended for jails with medical services available. this study estimates hepatitis b virus (hbv) and hcv infection prevalence among jail inmates, since most previous studies have been conducted among prison inmates. prison and jail populations differ: jails hold a wide spectrum of persons for an average of 10-20 days, including persons awaiting arraignment, trial, conviction, or sentencing, while prisons typically ho ... | 2009 | 18622707 |
| higher rate of sustained virologic response in chronic hepatitis c genotype 6 treated with 48 weeks versus 24 weeks of peginterferon plus ribavirin. | infection with hepatitis c virus (hcv) genotype 6 is common in patients from parts of china and southeast asia. no study to date has examined the treatment response to peginterferon and ribavirin (peg ifn + rbv) in these patients, or the effects of treatment duration on sustained virologic response (svr) rates. | 2008 | 18477343 |
| prevalence of hepatitis c virus infection among injection drug users in the united states, 1994-2004. | to examine hepatitis c virus (hcv) seroprevalence among injection drug users in 4 us cities from 1994 through 2004. | 2008 | 18462109 |
| increased all-cause, liver, and cardiac mortality among hepatitis c virus-seropositive blood donors. | hospital-based studies suggest that hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection causes frequent cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and mortality, but epidemiologic studies have shown less morbidity and mortality. the authors performed a retrospective cohort study of 10,259 recombinant immunoblot assay-confirmed, hcv antibody-positive (hcv+), allogeneic blood donors from 1991 to 2002 and 10,259 hcv antibody-negative (hcv-) donors matched for year of donation, age, gender, and zone improvement plan code ( ... | 2008 | 18203734 |
| barriers and missed opportunities to hiv testing among injection drug users in two mexico--us border cities. | despite increasing hiv prevalence in cities along the mexico--us border, hiv testing among high-risk populations remains low. we sought to identify barriers associated with hiv testing among injection drug users (idus) in tijuana and ciudad juarez, the two largest mexican border cities located across from san diego, california and el paso, texas, respectively. | 2008 | 18034380 |
| hepatitis b and c among veterans on a psychiatric ward. | hepatitis b and c are public health problems. psychiatric patients may be at risk of hepatitis b and c exposure due to lifestyle and inadequate health care. we aimed to determine prevalence of hepatitis b and c virus exposure and associated risk factors in acutely hospitalized psychiatric veterans. a total of 234 individuals consecutively admitted to the psychiatric wards at the west los angeles veterans affairs hospital were asked to participate. a total of 129 patients consented and were scree ... | 2008 | 17932751 |
| education by peers is the key to success. | we are a latino, a white guy and an african american, and we are all peer educators in the hepatitis c programme at organization to achieve solutions in substance abuse, inc. (oasis), a not-for-profit medical clinic in oakland, california. we are all recovering heroin users who got hepatitis c from using needles and we all managed to stop using drugs. in the same way, we all went through hepatitis c treatment; one of us was a sustained responder, one a non-responder, and one a relapsing non-resp ... | 2007 | 17854730 |
| seroprevalence of hepatitis c virus and hepatitis b virus among san francisco injection drug users, 1998 to 2000. | previous studies suggest that most injection drug users (idus) become infected with hepatitis c virus (hcv) and hepatitis b virus (hbv) soon after initiating drug use. the urban health study (uhs) recruited serial cross-sections of idus in the san francisco bay area from 1986 to 2005. in the current study, we determined the prevalence of antibody to hcv and hbv (core) among uhs participants during 1998 to 2000. to examine whether the time from onset of injection to acquisition of viral hepatitis ... | 2007 | 17657818 |
| hepatitis c videoconferencing: the impact on continuing medical education for rural healthcare providers. | this study compared the impact of multipoint videoconferencing (vc) versus standard lecturing (st) on primary care providers' (mds, nps/pas, and rns) education regarding hepatitis c virus (hcv). the hypothesis was that the educational impact of teaching through telemedicine is comparable to the traditional method. the aim was to provide participants clinically relevant information and knowledge about the natural history, diagnosis, and management of hcv. improved knowledge was scored from a 10-i ... | 2007 | 17603829 |
| hcv and hiv counseling and testing integration in california: an innovative approach to increase hiv counseling and testing rates. | in california, injection drug users (idus) comprise the second leading risk group for human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) infection and the majority of hepatitis c virus (hcv) cases. innovative disease screening and prevention activities are needed to improve disease surveillance and to guide appropriate public health responses. this study tested the hypothesis that offering hiv counseling and testing (c&t) concurrently with hcv c&t will increase hiv c&t rates among idus. | 2007 | 17542457 |
| 11th annual inflammatory and immune diseases drug discovery and development summit 12-13 march 2007, san francisco, usa. | the strategic research institute (sri) hosted the 11th international inflammation and immune diseases drug discovery and development world summit in san francisco during 12-13 march 2007. the summit comprised keynote sessions and two parallel tracks and focussed on targeting mechanisms for drug discovery and development, which modulate the immune response and which have anti-inflammatory activity in a number of human diseases. indications included psoriasis, hepatitis c, allergic dermatitis, sys ... | 2007 | 17501702 |
| human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis c virus testing services at syringe exchange programs: availability and outcomes. | we described the availability and outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) and hepatitis c virus (hcv) testing services at syringe exchange programs throughout california, using interviews with 24 syringe exchange program directors and 560 syringe exchange clients. both hiv and hcv testing services were available in 62% of programs, 21% had hiv testing only, and 17% had neither. programs administered by health care/social service providers were more likely than independent syringe exchange ... | 2007 | 17481466 |
| molecular epidemiology of hepatitis c virus subtype 3a in injecting drug users. | hepatitis c virus subtype 3a (hcv-3a) originates from asia and has spread widely among injecting drug users as well as other patient groups in industrialized countries. hcv subtype 3a infection remains highly prevalent and frequently transmitted in the population of intravenous drug users. the objective of this study was to understand better the mechanisms of the worldwide hcv-3a epidemics in drug users. ninety-three sera from hcv-3a-infected idus from france, the united states, brazil, argentin ... | 2006 | 16927280 |
| hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus co-infection among injection drug users in los angeles county, california. | this study examined the prevalence of hepatitis a (hav), b (hbv), c (hcv), and human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) co-infection among injection drug users (idus) in los angeles county, california, and predictors of multiple infections in this population. six hundred seventy-nine idus were recruited from october 2002 through june 2004. participants completed questionnaires to elicit demographic, drug and sex risk information, and were tested for hepatitis a, b, c and hiv.a linear regression model ... | 2006 | 16785216 |
| liver transplantation for hepatitis b in the united states. | to evaluate the impact of hepatitis b virus (hbv) on us health care system, we reviewed the organ procurement and transplantation (optn, formerly unos) hbv database. | 2005 | 16387118 |
| clinical presentation and course of acute hepatitis c infection in hiv-infected patients. | hepatitis c virus (hcv) has become a significant source of morbidity and mortality in hiv-infected patients. however, little is known about the clinical presentation and course of acute hcv infection in this population. this study reports the outcomes of acute hcv infection in 9 hiv-infected men. sex with men was the only reported risk factor for hcv infection in 6 of the subjects. clinical presentation of acute hcv ranged from incidentally discovered elevated transaminases to severe liver dysfu ... | 2006 | 16340470 |
| hepatitis c and hospital outcomes in patients admitted with alcohol-related problems. | alcohol is known to act synergistically with chronic hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection to cause liver disease; however, their combined effect on outcomes in acutely hospitalized patients is less clear. we examined the impact of hcv infection on hospital mortality and length of stay among hospitalized patients with alcohol abuse problems. | 2006 | 16226823 |
| health indicators among low income women who report a history of sex work: the population based northern california young women's survey. | we examined differences in demographic characteristics, hiv related risk behaviour, prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (sti), and hiv and other health concerns among women with and without a history of sex work. | 2005 | 16199746 |
| hepatitis c virus infection among prisoners in the california state correctional system. | incarcerated populations are at high risk for hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection, yet prisoners are not routinely screened or treated for hcv infection. understanding the risk factors of hcv infection among prisoners could help improve hcv interventions. | 2005 | 15983913 |
| integrating hepatitis, std, and hiv services into a drug rehabilitation program. | considering the difficulties in providing screening and vaccination services for inmates in short-stay incarceration facilities, an evaluation was conducted of the integration of prevention services in an alternative sentencing drug rehabilitation program (alternative to incarceration) in san diego ca. | 2005 | 15958248 |
| hepatitis c augments cognitive deficits associated with hiv infection and methamphetamine. | to examine the contribution of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection to neurocognitive dysfunction in individuals with comorbid hiv infection or methamphetamine (meth) dependence. | 2005 | 15851720 |
| knowledge of and interest in hepatitis c treatment at a methadone clinic. | this study describes knowledge about hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection and interest in treatment among 110 opiate dependent patients from an opiate dependence treatment program in san francisco. none had been treated for hcv and only 30% had been evaluated for hcv treatment. while only 34% knew about hcv treatment, 54% of the sample became "definitely interested" in hcv treatment after hearing the risks and benefits. men were approximately five times more likely than women to know of some hcv tr ... | 2005 | 15780548 |
| factors associated with the initiation of alpha-interferon treatment in medicaid patients diagnosed with hepatitis c. | we aimed to determine rates of treatment with alpha-interferon medication in patients diagnosed with hepatitis c virus (hcv), to ascertain the prevalence of selected conditions that could influence initiation of interferon treatment, and to examine the association between the presence of these conditions and interferon treatment. a nested case-control design was used in california medicaid (medi-cal) claims data covering the period from 1 january 1996 to 30 june 2002. interferon-treated cases an ... | 2005 | 15720533 |
| antiretroviral therapy, hepatitis c virus, and aids mortality among san francisco's homeless and marginally housed. | mortality has declined in most hiv-infected populations yet remains high among those with barriers to accessing antiretroviral (arv) therapy. we sought to determine predictors of death in a group of hiv-infected homeless persons in san francisco. between 1996 and 2002, quarterly interviews and blood draws were conducted. hazards of death were compared by number of months of the prior 6 months that an individual took any arv, drug use, hepatitis c virus (hcv) status, and housing status. among 330 ... | 2005 | 15671804 |
| health conditions among aging narcotics addicts: medical examination results. | the study examined health conditions among an aging cohort of male narcotics addicts. this prospective cohort study (1964-1998) included interviews and medical testing for 108 surviving subjects who had been admitted to the california civil addict program during the years 1962 through 1964. medical testing results were: 51.9% had high blood pressure, 22.4% showed hyperlipidemia, 13.3% had elevated levels of blood glucose, 33.6% had abnormal pulmonary function, half of the sample had abnormal liv ... | 2004 | 15669446 |
| seroprevalence of hepatitis c among a juvenile detention population. | the seroprevalence and determinants of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection among adolescents in juvenile detention centers in riverside county was assessed. among 728 participants, 16 (2.2%, 95% ci 1.1%, 3.3%) demonstrated serologic evidence of hcv infection. adolescents with a history of injection drug use (adjusted or = 10.8, 95% ci 2.6, 45.3, p < .001) were more likely to be hcv seropositive, however the frequency of reported injection drug use was just 4%, and only 12% of hcv infection could b ... | 2004 | 15581531 |
| survival in patients with hiv infection and viral hepatitis b or c: a cohort study. | to assess survival in patients with hiv and viral hepatitis co-infection. | 2004 | 15577625 |
| frequent hepatitis c virus superinfection in injection drug users. | the frequency of hepatitis c virus (hcv) superinfection with a divergent viral strain was determined in a cohort of recently infected young injection drug users (idus) with an hcv incidence rate of 25%. hcv was amplified, by use of polymerase chain reaction (pcr), from plasma samples collected from 25 hcv-infected individuals over an average period of 12 months, and their viral sequences were compared. phylogenetic analysis identified 5 idus with superinfection (20%) occurring after seroconversi ... | 2004 | 15378431 |
| hepatitis c in a los angeles public hepatitis clinic: demographic and biochemical differences associated with race-ethnicity. | the goal of this study was to uncover possible racial-ethnic differences in hepatitis c presentation in an urban hepatitis clinic. | 2004 | 15181612 |
| hepatitis c virus infection in san francisco's hiv-infected urban poor. | to measure hepatitis c virus (hcv) prevalence, incidence, and initiation of hcv therapy in a representative hiv-infected cohort of the urban poor. | 2004 | 15061745 |
| cost-effectiveness of transfusion of platelet components prepared with pathogen inactivation treatment in the united states. | the intercept blood system (ibs) for platelets has been developed to reduce pathogen transmission risks during transfusions. | 2003 | 14604745 |
| colonoscopes may spread hcv and hpv. | 2003 | 12825588 | |
| evaluation of screening criteria to identify persons with hepatitis c virus infection among sexually transmitted disease clinic clients: results from the san diego viral hepatitis integration project. | the centers for disease control and prevention estimates that 1.8% of the us population is infected with hepatitis c virus (hcv), and most are unaware of their infection. | 2003 | 12671556 |