AEGiS-13IAC: Effect of triple antiretroviral therapy including lamivudine in patients with HIV, and HCV combined infections.

13th International AIDS Conference

Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

Effect of triple antiretroviral therapy including lamivudine in patients with HIV, and HCV combined infections.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:(abstract no. ThOrB657)

Kamkamidze G, Tsertsvadze T, Butsashvili M, Sharvadze L, Gvetadze R
G. Kamkamidze, 16 Al. Kazbegi Ave, Tbilisi 380060, Georgia, Tel.: +995 32 330 809, Fax: +995 32 941 668, E-mail: neulavimi@hotmail.com

BACKGROUND: The objective of the investigation was to study dynamics of virologic and serological indices in HIV infected patients co-infected with hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viruses in response to triple antiretroviral therapy including lamivudine.

METHODS: Six intravenous drug users with HIV, chronic HBV and chronic HCV combined infections identified by serological (ELISA) and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were included in the follow-up study. The average baseline HIV viral load was 115,000 copies/ml and average CD4+ cell count was 152 cells/ml. Levels of HIV-RNA, HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA (Roche AMPLICOR) as well as serologic markers of hepatitis B (HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg and anti-HBe) and CD4+ cell counts were measured every 3 months during 12 months. Antiretroviral treatment regimens were the same for all six patients and consisted of daily administration of 600 mg zidovudine, 300 mg lamivudine and 1800 mg saquinavir.

RESULTS: Average 2.2 log decrease of HIV viral load and 2.4-fold increase of CD4+ cell count have been documented in the patients at 6th month after initiation of triple therapy and this effect was maintained during the rest period of observation. HBV-DNA level was substantially suppressed in all patients. 2.4 log decrease of average HBV-DNA level was observed at 6th month with moderate further suppression during the rest period of study. HBsAg disappeared in 2 and HBeAg in 3 patients. Normalization of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was moderate. The level of HCV-RNA did not change significantly throughout the study period.

CONCLUSIONS: Triple antiretroviral therapy including lamivudine has dual efficacy in patients with HIV and chronic HBV co-infection.

Keywords: AEGIS, Lamivudine, HIV Infections, Hepacivirus, Hepatitis B Virus, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV Seropositivity, Hepatitis B Antibodies, Substance Abuse, Intravenous, Alanine Transaminase, Follow-Up Studies, Greece, Human, therapy, immunology
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ThOrB657