Abstract Form

HIV AND HEPATITIS C VIRUS COINFECTION

Author: Angelos Hatzakis
National Retrovirus Reference Center, Dept. of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece

Recent reduction in morbidity and mortality among individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) has contributed to the emergence of chronic hepatitis C as a significant problem in this patient population. Coinfections of HIV with HCV are common due to the shared routes of transmission; one third of HIV-infected subjects are thus coinfected with HCV. HCV viral load is consistently increased after HIV infection. The natural course of chronic HCV infection is accelerated with HIV and this acceleration is associated with low CD4 counts and older age. HIV-infected persons coinfected with HCV/genotype I, in particular, progress faster to AIDS and death. Based on natural history data, treatment of HCV/HIV coinfection should be encouraged. The currently recommended treatment for HCV/HIV is combination of interferon-a plus ribavirin. However, additive toxicity, pharmacological interactions and poor adherence may compromise the treatment of chronic HCV/HIV coinfection. New treatment strategies that include pegylated interferons with dual efficacy against both HIV and HCV are currently under evaluation.

Angelos Hatzakis, National Retrovirus Reference Center, Dept. of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, 75 Mikras Asias Street, GR-11527 Athens (Goudi), Greece Tel./Fax: 301-748 6382, E-mail: ahatzak@cc.uoa.gr