Hyeok Choon Kwon

Background: Coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) can cause more rapid progression to cirrhosis than HCV-monoinfection. In this study, incident HCV case (IHCV)s were investigated in a HIV clinic in Korea. Materials and methods: A retrospective HIV cohort was constructed who visited National Medical Center in Korea from 2013 to 2022 and performed >= 1 anti-HCV antibody tests (anti-HCV) during the study period. IHCV was defined as newly confirmed HCV infection by PCR with a prior negative anti-HCV and factors associated with IHCV were investigated among alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >150 IU/mL sub-cohort without plausible reasons for ALT elevation. Results: Overall, 2,567 HIV clinic visitors were recruited during the study period and 42 (1.63%) were confirmed as HIV/HCV co-infection. Fifteen IHCVs were identified during the study period. While no IHCV was observed in 2013-2015, incidence of 2016-2019 and 2020-2022 were 0.84 and 1.48 per 1000 person-year, respectively. Subtype 1a were more common among IHCVs in 2020-2022 (8/9) while subtype 2 dominated in 2016-2019 (5/6, P=0.003). Most IHCVs were identified during the evaluation of de novo liver enzyme elevation which was identified through the regularly performed blood tests (86.7%, 13/15). Comparing twelve IHCVs with ALT>150 IU/mL with 58 HIV mono-infection comparators whose peak ALT exceeded 150 IU/mL during the study period, age, sex, HIV/HCV infection risk factor, CD4 cell count, and HIV-RNA viral load were not different between two groups. However, mean peak ALT of IHCVs was higher than comparators (776 vs. 237, P<0.001) and syphilis treatment within prior 24 months of ALT elevation was more common in IHCV group (41.7% vs. 12.7%, P=0.026). Conclusion: Incidence rate of HCV among PLH revealed increasing trend between 2013 and 2022 among visitors at a HIV clinic in Korea. Subtype 1a dominated among IHCVs after 2020 and recent syphilis treatment was associated with IHCVs.

Kim SG, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2022 Nov;37(48):e342. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2022.37.e342

Choi CW, et al. Infect Chemother. 2022 Dec;54:e94. https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2022.0122

Choi YY, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2021 Nov;36(45):e318. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e318

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The thyroid is resistant to infection due to its anatomical and physiological characteristics. We present a rare case of invasive liver abscess with metastatic thyroid abscess and endogenous endophthalmitis in a previously healthy 55-yearold female patient without diabetes or other medical illness. This report raises an important question of the virulence of Klebsiella pneumoniae as an increasingly common causative agent of liver abscess.

Kim SW, et al. Yeungnam Univ J Med. 2017 Jun;34(1):96-100. https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2017.34.1.96