Causes of liver disease and its outcome in HIV-infected individuals

Liver disease in HIV-infected patients has remained unaddressed in India. This study describes the causes of liver disease in HIV-infected patients and short-term outcome in them. Designed as a prospective observational study, it was conducted at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research between September 2011 and March 2013. All consecutive HIV patients (>13 years) attending the antiretroviral therapy clinic or admitted in the Medicine Department were screened, and patients with liver disease or with either HBsAg or anti-HCV antibody positivity were included in the study. Of the 198 patients screened, 51 (26 %) had either abnormal liver function test or had HBsAg or anti-HCV positivity. The median age of the patients was 40 years and 82 % were males. The median CD4 count was 123 cells/mm³. Eighteen (35 %) of them had alcoholic liver disease. Six patients had probable hepatic involvement due to tuberculosis. Ten patients had antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity. One patient had acute hepatitis B and seven patients had chronic hepatitis B. The cause could not be established in 10 patients (20 %). After a median period of 8 months of follow up, 23 patients had improved, 19 patients (37 %) had died, and six patients had been lost to follow up. Of the patients who had died, 11 patients (58 %) had tuberculosis, and 6 patients (30 %) had decompensated alcoholic liver disease. In conclusion, liver disease in HIV-infected patients was associated with high mortality. Alcohol abuse, tuberculosis, and antituberculosis drugs were the major causes.