My SciELO
Services on Demand
Journal
Article
Indicators
Cited by SciELO
Access statistics
Related links
Cited by Google
Similars in SciELO
Similars in Google
Share
Anales de Medicina Interna
Print version ISSN 0212-7199
Abstract
SANTOS GIL, I. and SANZ SANZ, J.. Treatment with interferon and ribavirin of chronic hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients. An. Med. Interna (Madrid) [online]. 2004, vol.21, n.8, pp.9-12. ISSN 0212-7199.
Background: The rapid progression of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in HIV-infected patients is now the most important cause of morbidity, mortality and hospital admissions. In order to avoid this evolution, the treatment of CHC is a major challenge in these patients. Patients and method: The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of treatment of CHC in HIV-infected patients with subcutaneous IFN (3 MU 3 times a week) plus Ribavirin (RBV) administered per os depending on their body weight, for 24 weeks for genotype 2 or 3 and 48 weeks for genotype 1 or 4. All the patients have a CD4 count over 150 cells/µl and HIV viral load < 5,000 copies/ml, with or without antiretroviral treatment. We defined sustained response as RNA-VHC below level of detection 24 weeks after the end of treatment. Results: We included 28 patients in the study, with median age of 36,6 y.o. 81% of the patients were on antiretroviral treatment, with AZT in 60% of them. Genotype distribution was HCV-1 in 50%, HCV-3 in 35,7%, HCV-4 in 10,7% and HCV-2 in 3%. Liver biopsy was performed in all the patients. Adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation occurred in 5 patients (17,8%). The overall sustained response rate in the intent-to-treat analysis was 25,8% (50% for genotype 3 and 14% for genotype 1). Conclusion: This therapy provides cure in a rate significantly lower than that seen in HCV-monoinfected individuals, with a similar safety. The modern formulations of IFN (pegylated) will provide new expectatives in this group of patients.
Keywords : Chronic hepatitis C; Human immunodeficiency virus; Interferon; Ribavirin.