Association between depressive symptoms, CD4 count and HIV viral suppression among HIV-HCV co-infected people. Issue 5 (4th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Aibibula, Wusiman; Cox, Joseph; Hamelin, Anne-Marie; Moodie, Erica E. M.; Anema, Aranka; Klein, Marina B; Brassard, Paul
• Is Part Of: AIDS care. Volume 30:Issue 5(2018)
• Page Start: 643
• Page End: 649
• Publication Date: 2018-05-04
• Subjects: HIV-HCV co-infection -- depressive symptoms -- HIV viral load -- CD4 count -- marginal structural model; AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; AIDS (Disease) -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; AIDS (Disease) -- Patients -- Care -- Periodicals; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; 362.1969792
• DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2018.1431385
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0954-0121

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Depressive symptoms are associated with poor HIV viral control and immune recovery among people living with HIV. However, no prior studies assessed this association exclusively among people co-infected with HIV-hepatitis C virus (HCV). While people with HIV only and those with HIV-HCV co-infection share many characteristics, co-infected people may become more susceptible to the effects of depressive symptoms on health outcomes. We assessed this association exclusively among people co-infected with HIV-HCV in Canada using data from the Food Security & HIV-HCV Sub-Study (FS Sub-Study) of the Canadian Co-Infection Cohort (CCC). Stabilized inverse probability weighted marginal structural model was used to account for potential time-varying confounders. A total of 725 participants were enrolled between 2012 and 2015. At baseline, 52% of participants reported depressive symptoms, 75% had undetectable HIV viral load, and median CD4 count was 466 (IQR 300–665). People experiencing depressive symptoms had 1.32 times (95% CI: 1.07, 1.63) the risk of having detectable HIV viral load, but had comparable CD4 count to people who did not experience depressive symptoms (fold change of CD4 = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.91, 1.03). Presence of depressive symptoms is a risk factor for incomplete short-term HIV viral suppression among people co-infected with HIV-HCV. Therefore, depressive symptoms screening and related counseling may improve HIV related health outcomes and reduce HIV transmission.