| dc.description.abstract | Background and study aim: Hepatocellular injury and metabolic dysreg
ulation are significant complications in individuals co-infected with hu
man immune deficiency virus (HIV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), par
ticularly those who use injection heroin. However, this is less recognized.
The combined effect of viral pathogenesis, drug intoxication, compro
mised bone mineralization and systemic inflammation contribute to accel
erated liver damage and metabolic abnormalities including osteoporosis,
but effective biomarker –based tools for early detection and monitoring
remain limited. The current study aimed to characterize and quantify se
lected biomarkers of hepatocellular injury and metabolic dysregulation in
HIV-1 and HCV co-infected injection heroin users, with the intent of de
veloping a laboratory based diagnostic and monitoring algorithm for early
detection and disease progression assessment.
Materials and Methods: This case control retrospective study was con
ducted targeting injection heroin users stratified into HIV-1 and HCV co
infected, mono infected and un-infected groups. A total of 289 samples
from persons aged between18 to 65 years were analyzed for liver enzymes
(ALP), metabolic indicators (Lipid profile, Calcium and Vitamin D3), and
virological parameters (HIV RNA, HCV RNA and CD4 count). Statistical
analyses included group comparisons and correlation modeling to evaluate
biomarker association with disease severity.
Results: The co-infected group exhibited significantly elevated liver en
zymes compared to mono infected and uninfected participants (P <0.05).
Strong correlations were observed between viral load, biomarker altera
tions and duration of heroin use. The combined biomarker profile demon
strated potential to distinguish early and advanced hepatic and metabolic
impairment.
Conclusion: HIV-1 and HCV co-infection in injecting heroin persons is
associated with compounded liver injury and metabolic dysregulation that
can be effectively assessed through selected biomarkers. These findings
support the development of a biomarker –based diagnostic and monitoring
algorithm to facilitate early detection and guide targeted clinical interven
tions in this high-risk population to avert a rise in mortality rate.
Key words: HIV-1-HCV co-infection, Injection heroin use, Hepatocellu
lar injury, metabolic dysregulation, Biomarkers, Liver function, Diagnos
tic algorithm, Lipid profile. | en_US |
