Primary risk factors of hepatitis C virus infection: a Meta-analysis

Abstract

To provide evidence for decision-making on primary hepatitis C prevention through analyzing the main risk factors of hepatitis C virus infection. A comprehensive search was carried out in China Hospital Knowledge Database (CHKD), Wanfang Data, EBSCO, FMJS and Elsevier databases to identify all case-control and cohort studies published from 1994 to 2010 that evaluated the risk factors on the transmission of hepatitis C virus. Data manipulation and statistical analyses were performed using Stata 11.0 and RevMan 5.0 softwares. A total of 25 case-control studies were included in this Meta-analysis, which contained 4370 cases and 8606 controls. In univariate analysis, the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) on the risk factors associated with HCV seropositivity were "blood transfusion" 4.23 (2.82 - 6.35), "having had surgical operations" 2.13 (1.70 - 2.67), "intravenous drug use" 52.28 (34.12 - 80.11), "having sex with intravenous drug users" 7.19 (3.13 - 16.51), "histories of having had STDs" 3.43 (2.70 - 4.34). In multivariate analysis, pooled OR and 95%CI of the risk factors associated with HCV seropositivity were:having had following "histories as blood transfusion" 6.03 (3.97 - 9.15), "surgeries" 2.10 (1.44 - 3.07), "intravenous drug use" 44.90 (31.13 - 64.76), "having sex with intravenous drug users"3.87 (2.07 - 7.24), "having STDs" 2.05 (1.19 - 3.52). Blood transfusion, intravenous drug use and having sex with intravenous drug users were the risk factors of HCV infection. Due to existing biases, the relationship between having had surgical operations and HCV infection was inconclusive. There appeared weak correlation between STDs and HCV infection, but the result was not so stability.