RESUMO
Introduction: Hepatitis E is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide. Seroprevalence is approximately 15% in developed countries, and 22% in France. hepatitis E virus (HEV) can be transmitted via transfusions and therefore possibly intravenous (IV) drug use. Hepatitis E serology is routinely tested in patients who seek medical advice for addictive injection behavior at the addiction treatment, support and prevention unit of Toulouse University Hospital. We assume that hepatitis E is more prevalent in patients presenting with addictive injection behavior than in the general French population. Methods: Hepatitis E serological assays [immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG] were carried out for all patients presenting with addictive injection behavior during an initial evaluation. The controls were taken from a cohort of 3,353 blood donors living in southern France and who donated blood during the first 2 weeks of October 2011. Results: We included 52 patients presenting with addictive injection behavior and 103 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and area of residence. We found no difference between patients and controls for the prevalence of hepatitis E: patients vs. healthy controls: positive IgGs: 42.31%, 95% confidence interval (CI) (28.73-56.80%) vs. 43.43%, 95% CI (33.50-53.77%) (p = 0.89) and positive IgMs: 3.85%, 95% CI (0.47-13.22%) vs. 4.85%, 95% CI (0.16-10.97%) (p = 0.57). Conclusion: There was no difference in HEV seroprevalence between IV drug users and the general population, suggesting that the IV route of HEV infection is not significant in this population.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To describe a case series of 7 patients presenting cluster headache (CH) criteria and a substance use disorder, reported to a French Addictovigilance center. Then, to assess clinical, pharmacological, and neurobiological linkages between substance use and CH onset. BACKGROUND: CH patients are presenting a higher prevalence of comorbidities, among which the use of psychoactive substances, licit or illicit, have been explored by a few authors. Recently, 3 cases of CH in patients seen in the hospital-based addiction care center have been reported to the Toulouse addictovigilance center. METHODS: Other cases have been identified in the same tertiary hospital after a collaborative investigation done with the departments of neurology and psychiatry and included in the case series. A narrative review was performed to assess the potential of psychoactive substance consumption to induce or facilitate CH. RESULTS: From 2016 to 2018, 6 males and 1 female aged between 26 and 54 years old, presenting CH criteria and a substance use disorder, were included in our case series. Among substances used, there are: (1) daily use of tobacco and alcohol in 5/7 subjects; (2) daily or almost daily use of cocaine in 5/7 subjects; (3) regular use of cannabis before attacks beginning in 4/7 subjects; and (4) opioids, as a substitutive medication or abused, in 5/7 subjects. The intranasal route administration is reported by all the subjects and precedes the beginning of attacks for 5/7 subjects. CONCLUSIONS: We have found a CH prevalence of 0.9% in our studied population, while it is estimated at 0.1% in the general population. The coexistence of cluster headache and addiction behaviors reflects possible common neurobiological pathways, which would include the hypothalamus. Research could be conducted on the potential of hypothalamic therapeutic targets.
