studies

HEPATOLOGY, VOLUME 62, NUMBER 1 (SUPPL) AASLD ABSTRACTS 713A
suggesting that HCV-ICs persist in an even higher proportion
of patients. Studies are ongoing to assess the clinical implications
of persistent HCV-specific ICs. CONCLUSIONS. We
demonstrated for the first time that HCV-ICs persist in a majority
of patients who had spontaneously cleared HCV or achieved
SVR months to years earlier. Evidence of ongoing presence of
HCV proteins after HCV clearance extends our understanding
of pathogenesis. When using HCV-Ag assays, serum sample
denaturation may result in failure to differentiate active from
resolved HCV infection.
Disclosures:
The following authors have nothing to disclose: Ke-Qin Hu, Wei Cui
1032
Very low prevalence of Hepatitis C in HIV negative
men who have sex with men in Tel Aviv: A prospective
cohort analysis
Ella Veitsman 1,7 , Adir Yanko 2 , Yuval Livnat 3,4 , Margalit Lorber 5,6 ,
Ziv Ben Ari 1,7 ; 1 center for liver diseases, sheba medical center,
Ramat Gan, Israel; 2 Israel LGBT organization, Levinsky clinic, Tel
Aviv, Israel; 3 Israel AIDS Task force, Tel Aviv, Israel; 4 Tel Aviv University,
Tel Aviv, Israel; 5 Immunology Department, Rambam Health
Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; 6 The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport
School of medicine, Israel institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel;
7 Sackler School of medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Background: In light of highly effective existing and upcoming
antiviral treatments, it is necessary to define additional risk
groups of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission. The occurrence
of sexual transmission of HCV in human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) positive men who have sex with men (MSM) is well
described and on the rise all over the world. Outbreaks of hepatitis
C in this population have been linked to several risk factors
including unprotected anal sex, use of recreational drugs,
and concomitant sexually transmitted infections. This has led
some experts to suggest that HIV negative MSM also have a
high rate of hepatitis C but are simply not getting tested for it.
However epidemiological studies on possible sexual transmission
of hepatitis C in HIV negative MSM have shown significantly
variable results in different countries. Aim: To determine
the prevalence of positivity for antibodies to hepatitis C virus
(anti-HCV) and the potential for sexual transmission of the
virus in HIV negative MSM. Patients and methods: Participants
were prospectively recruited from a day-MSM clinic in Tel Aviv
during the period from July 2014 to April 2015. Participants
self-completed a short questionnaire providing demographic
and behavioral data. They also donated a sample of blood
that was subsequently tested for antibodies to HCV and other
selected pathogens (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia).
Results: In total 730 MSM HIV negative participants, median
age 28.0 (range 16-64) completed the questionnaire and
underwent HCV testing. The majority of the tested population
was born in Israel. 85 participants (11.87%) were immigrants
from other countries. Overall three of 730 tested were found
sero-positive for antibodies to HCV. All three were born in
Israel. The overall prevalence was 0.41% (95% CI: 0.21-
0.8%). Further HCV RNA testing was negative in all three anti
HCV positive men. Therefore no one was found harboring
a replicating virus. Also no HCV sero-conversion was found
during the study period. None of the three anti HCV positive
participants reported known risk factors for HCV contraction
except for unprotected sex in one of them. Conclusion: Our
findings suggest that in Israel Hepatitis C among MSM without
diagnosed HIV is much less prevalent than in the general
population. There is no evidence of elevated rates of sexual
transmission of HCV among MSM without HIV-infection.
Disclosures:
Yuval Livnat - Grant/Research Support: Abbvie, Neopharm Israel, Janssen
The following authors have nothing to disclose: Ella Veitsman, Adir Yanko, Margalit
Lorber, Ziv Ben Ari
1033
The Antibody response to hepatitis B virus vaccination
is not influenced by the hepatitis C virus viral load in
patients with chronic hepatitis C
Roseane P. Medeiros, Marta Lopes, Daniel F. Mazo, Claudia P.
Oliveira, Patricia M. Zitteli, João Renato R. Pinho, Flair J. Carrilho,
Mario G. Pessoa; Gastroenterology, University of Sao Paulo
School of Medicine, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Background: Some immunogenicity studies of anti-HBV vaccine
in patients with chronic HCV infection have demonstrated a
diminished response ranging from 63.6% to 72.9% on seroconversion
rate, compared to 90.9% to 93.9% in healthy controls.
One possible explanation is the high HCV viral load in
some patients. Aims: To evaluate the impact of HCV viral load
on anti-HBV vaccination response in treatment naive chronic
HCV patients without cirrhosis. Methods: 110 chronic HCV
adult patients without cirrhosis were randomized to receive
anti-HBV vaccination regimen at standard 3 doses (0, 1 and
6 months) of 20ug, or higher dose of 40ug. Response to vaccination
was measured by titers of anti-HBs 1 and 6 month
after the last dose of anti-HBV vaccine. Healthy controls were
negative to anti-HCV, anti-HBc, HBsAg and anti-HBs antibodies,
and received standard 3 doses of 20ug at intervals of 0,
1 and 6 months, and were also evaluated for anti-HBs titers.
Results: Of the 110 HCV vaccinated patients, the seroconversion
rate (anti-HBs ≥ 10IU/mL) was 74.5% (82/110). Out of
the 45 healthy controls vaccinated with standard dose, we
observed a seroconversion rate of 93.3% (42/45). Variables
included in the logistic regression model were: Age, Gender,
HCVRNA and Liver Fibrosis by Metavir (F0/F1 versus F2/F3).
Age was the only variable that negatively influenced anti-HBs
titers (p=0.003) Conclusions: Our study had demonstrated that
chronic HCV patients without cirrhosis presented impaired anti-
HBV vaccine response compared to healthy controls, similar to
data previously demonstrated in the literature. This impairment
is apparently not influenced by HCV viral load.
Disclosures:
João Renato R. Pinho - Employment: Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein
The following authors have nothing to disclose: Roseane P. Medeiros, Marta
Lopes, Daniel F. Mazo, Claudia P. Oliveira, Patricia M. Zitteli, Flair J. Carrilho,
Mario G. Pessoa