HIV/HCV coinfection in clinical practice

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) frequently co-exist due to shared routes of transmission. In the past, the impact of HCV on overall morbidity and mortality of coinfected patients was minimal due to the poor prognosis of HIV. However, since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), HCV has become a significant pathogen in this population. HIV clearly exacerbates HCV infection and accelerates progression to cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is debate over whether HCV influences the natural history of HIV. Given the high prevalence of coinfection and the accelerated liver damage, HCV treatment has become a priority in these patients. There are new data on pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) therapy for HCV in coinfected patients. The therapy is well tolerated and safe, although it appears to be slightly less effective than in monoinfected patients. The risk of HAART-related hepatotoxicity is greater in coinfected patients and therefore requires special consideration and close monitoring.     

Emerging epidemiologic observations in HCV/HIV coinfection

Recent studies indicate that when HCV-infected patients also are infected with HIV, their risk of chronic liver disease is increased up to twofold compared with the risk for HCV-infected patients without HIV. As a result, consideration for HCV antiviral therapy should not be hindered by HIV status. The data are inconclusive on the role of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in chronic liver disease progression. The limited data available do not support an HIV-related increase in the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in HCV-infected patients. Acute hepatotoxicity clearly increases significantly when HAART is administered to patients infected with both HIV and HCV, compared with patients infected with HIV alone. Nonetheless, the overall benefit of HAART in persons with HIV is far greater than the risk of hepatotoxicity, even with coinfection.     

HCV对HIV/HCV共感染患者病情进展的影响

目的探讨HCV对HIV/HCV共感染病情进展的影响。方法研究对象为2012年8月到北京佑安医院随访的HIV/HCV共感染者29例及HIV单独感染者20例。两组患者年龄、性别及HIV感染时间及感染方式、感染的HIV病毒亚型均具有可比性。外周血生化指标检测并采用瞬时弹性扫描仪FibroScan评估肝脏功能及纤维化程度,运用流式细胞技术检测外周血CD4+T、CD8+T细胞绝对计数。两组计量资料比较采用t检验,计数资料比较采用χ2检验。结果 HIV/HCV共感染组ALT、AST及TBil水平分别为(76.16±81.25)U/L、(87.66±71.32)U/L、(14.21±9.56)μmol/L,明显高于HIV单独感染组[(27.74±20.63)U/L、(45.65±16.95)U/L、(10.26±3.22)μmol/L],差异具有统计学意义(P值分别为0.004、0.005及0.046)。与HIV单独感染组相比,HIV/HCV共感染组Stiffness指数有升高的趋势,但差异无统计学意义(t=1.889,P=0.080)。HIV/HCV共感染组HIV病毒载量(拷贝/ml)的对数值为3.66±0.97明显高于HIV单独感染组的3.02±0.90(t=2.251,P=0.030)。HIV/HCV共感染组、HIV单独感染组CD4+T淋巴细胞计数及CD4+T/CD8+T细胞比例分别为(374.25±185.48)/μl及(0.33±0.17)、(496.45±230.98)/μl及(0.46±0.27),HIV/HCV共感染组CD4+T淋巴细胞计数及CD4+T/CD8+T细胞比例低于HIV单独感染组,差异具有统计学意义,P值分别为0.048、0.043。共感染组艾滋病发病率(27.59%)呈现出较HIV单独感染组(5%)高的趋势(P=0.063)。结论HCV促进HIV/HCV共感染者肝脏损伤,增强HIV复制,加剧机体免疫功能损伤,HCV可能加速HIV/HCV共感染者的病情进展。     

HIV和HCV合并感染研究进展

人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）和丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染是全球性问题,因两者具有相同的传播途径,合并感染现象相当常见。合并感染者中,HIV、HCV相互作用加速了疾病的进展,严重危害人类健康。高效抗逆转录病毒治疗（HAART）的应用显著降低了艾滋病患者的死亡率和机会性感染等合并症,延长了患者的生存期。HCV合并感染导致的慢性肝脏疾病成为HIV感染者死亡的主要原因之一。本文就近年来HIV／HCV合并感染方面的研究综述如下。     

Increased mitochondrial toxicity with ribavirin in HIV/HCV coinfection

In two of 15 patients coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus who received interferon-alpha plus ribavirin in addition to HAART, we observed multiorgan dysfunction and lactic acidaemia. As ribavirin is a nucleoside analogue, an increased risk of mitochondrial toxicity can be induced in HIV-infected patients already treated with nucleoside analogues, leading to clinical deterioration in some cases.     

The effect of HIV coinfection on the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in U.S. veterans with hepatitis C

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to determine whether HIV coinfection increases the risk of cirrhosis in HCV-infected patients in the HAART and pre-HAART eras. Further, the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma was also examined. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted among HCV-infected veterans who were seen at one of the 172 Veterans Health Administration hospitals between October 1, 1991 and September 30, 2000. Patients with prerecorded advanced liver disease were excluded. Incidence rates, cumulative incidence, and Cox proportional hazard ratios were calculated. RESULTS: There were 26,641 patients with HCV-only and 4,761 patients with HCV-HIV coinfection. The unadjusted incidence rate of cirrhosis was lower in patients with coinfection than HCV-only (p < 0.01). After controlling for demographics and confounders (including alcoholism and chronic hepatitis B), coinfection was not significantly associated with cirrhosis. However, there was an increased risk of cirrhosis in patients with coinfection compared to HCV-only during the pre-HAART era (before October 1, 1996) (hazard ratio = 1.48, 1.06-2.07, p= 0.02), but not among patients who entered the cohort during the HAART era. The unadjusted incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with coinfection and HCV-only was 1.3 and 2/1,000 person-years, respectively (p= 0.04). In the multivariate model, coinfection was not associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (hazard ratio = 0.84, p= 0.40). CONCLUSIONS: Coinfection was a significant risk factor for cirrhosis only during the pre-HAART era and was not associated with hepatocellular carcinoma, irrespective of time period.     

Advances in the management of HIV/HCV coinfection

HCV coinfection has emerged as a major cause of non-AIDS-related morbidity and mortality in HIV-positive patients. As a consequence of the availability of modern combined antiretroviral therapy regimens, for optimally managed HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, the rates of liver fibrosis progression and the risk of liver-related events are increasingly similar to those of HCV-monoinfected patients. Moreover, our understanding of modulators of liver disease progression has greatly improved. In addition to immune status, endocrine, metabolic, genetic and viral factors are closely interrelated and might be important determinants of liver disease progression. In the last decade, a variety of serologic and radiographic tests for noninvasive liver disease staging have been extensively validated and are commonly used in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients. Sustained virologic response prevents end-stage liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death, with an even greater effect size in HIV-positive compared to HIV-negative patients. As interferon-free regimens achieve comparable rates of sustained virologic response in HIV-negative and HIV-positive patients, HIV/HCV-coinfected patients should from now on be referred to as a special, rather than a difficult-to-treat, population. Our comprehensive review covers all relevant aspects of HIV/HCV coinfection. Beginning with the changing epidemiology, it also provides new insights into the natural history of this condition and gives an overview on non-invasive techniques for the staging of liver disease. Furthermore, it outlines current recommendations for the treatment of acute hepatitis C and summarizes the unprecedented advances in the field of chronic hepatitis C therapy.     

HIV and HCV coinfection in haemophilia

A substantial number of haemophilic patients are infected with both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C (HCV). HIV has been shown to accelerate the course of HCV chronic liver disease and there is evidence that HCV infection may worsen the prognosis of HIV. As many HIV infected patients are stable on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) HCV should be actively managed in coinfected individuals. Pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN)/ribavirin combination therapy is the treatment of choice for HCV infection and should be considered in patients with stable HIV on or off HAART with CD4 counts >200 x 10(6)/l. Results of on-going trials of combination therapy in coinfected individuals are awaited. For coinfected patients with end stage liver disease who are stable on HAART liver transplantation should be considered.     

HIV/AIDS in Women and Racial/Ethnic Minorities in the U.S.

The clinical issues affecting women with HIV/AIDS differ little from those affecting men. However, current research shows that treatment and outcome disparities affect many women with HIV, hypothesized to result from a complex interplay of socioeconomic and gender role influences. These disparities are also a reflection of racial/ethnic differences in treatment and outcome, since 80% of women with HIV/AIDS are black or Hispanic. Women have unique needs for HIV prevention — both prevention of sexual transmission to or from sexual partners and prevention of perinatal transmission. Racial/ethnic minorities continue to be disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S. Minorities are less likely to be in care and on HAART than others with HIV/AIDS. These disparities result in poorer outcomes for minorities, especially blacks, with HIV/AIDS. New strategies for optimizing engagement and retention in care, and for prevention hold great promise for women and minorities with HIV in the U.S.     

丙型肝炎病毒与其合并人类免疫缺陷病毒感染者的病毒基因型差异

HCV与HIV具有相似的传播途径,都可以通过使用污染的血制品、注射用具、性接触及母婴传播,因此,HIV与HCV混合感染较常见.HIV感染改变HCV的自然病程,加速肝纤维化、肝硬化及肝细胞癌的进程已达成共识;HCV基因型对肝病的进程和预后亦起到重要作用.那么HCV基因型的分布在HⅣ/HCV混合感染与HCV单纯感染之间是否存在差异?各自的感染途径有何不同?值得我们作进一步的探讨.我们对昆明市第三人民医院收治的昆明地区85例HCV感染住院患者采用PCR等分子生物学方法研究了HIV/HCV感染与HCV单纯感染患者HCV基因型分布的差异.