OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to compare the epidemiological, biochemical and virological characteristics among patients co-infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) according to the mode of HCV contamination.

METHODSThe study included 133 patients with chronic HBV/HCV co-infection. They were studied and subdivided into two groups (drug addicts group and Blood transfusion group) according to the mode of HCV contaminnation. The epidemiological, biochemical and virological characteristics were collected. Univariate analysis was performed with the SPSS 16.0.

RESULTS78 patients were infected by the mode of drug addicts (IDU), whereas 55 were infected by the mode of blood transfusion( PTCH). Patients in drug addicts group had yonger age, shorter HBV and HCV infection history, and lower cirrhosis percentage than those of patients in PTCH group (P <0.05). However,serum levels of ALT (t =4.760, P =0.000), AST (t = 3.798, P = 0.000), TBil (t = 4.274, P = 0.000) of IDU patients were higher than those of PTCH patients. There was difference of sex composition between two groups (chi2 = 18.706, P = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONSThe clinical characteristics of patients with HBV/HCV coinfection were significantly different among different HCV contamination mode. PTCH patients have the characteristics of older age, more cirrhosis and mild degree of liver injury; IDU patients have the characteristics of yonger age,fewer cirrhosis and severe liver injury.