The Chennai HIV, Hepatitis C and EERal Study (CHHEERS)

CHHEERS is focused on understanding associations between HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), tuberculosis (TB), alcohol use and liver disease in a population of people who inject drugs (PWID) in Chennai, India. The goal is to inform HCV treatment interventions to reduce the burden of hepatitis C and associated liver disease among PWID. The study involves both observational and intervention components. A cohort of ~1,000 is being followed every six months for liver-related and other outcomes and a pilot trial of field-based, directly-observed therapy for hepatitis C (n=50) is planned.

Investigators:
Shruti Mehta, Department of Epidemiology (PI)
Suniti Solomon, YR Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education, (YRGCARE), Chennai, India (Indian PI)
Sunil Solomon, Department of Medicine
David Thomas, Department of Medicine
Mark Sulkowski, Department of Medicine

Duration: 2011-2016

Funding: National Institute on Drug Abuse

Selected recent publications:

1.    Mehta SH1, Vogt SL, Srikrishnan AK, Vasudevan CK, Murugavel KG, Saravanan S, Anand S, Kumar MS, Ray SC, Celentano DD, Solomon S, Solomon SS. Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection & liver disease among injection drug users (IDUs) in Chennai, India. Indian J Med Res. 2010 Dec;132:706-14.
2.    Solomon SS, Celentano DD, Srikrishnan AK, Vasudevan CK, Murugavel KG, Iqbal SH, Anand S, Kumar MS, Latkin C, Solomon S, Mehta SH. Low incidences of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus infection and declining risk behaviors in a cohort of injection drug users in Chennai, India. Am J Epidemiol. 2010 Dec 1;172(11):1259-67