Hepatitis C and HIV infection: biological, clinical, and therapeutic implications.
As deaths from AIDS continue to decline in HIV-infected persons, liver disease is becoming an increasing cause of hospital admission and death in HIV-HCV co-infected persons. The problem is particularly relevant among intravenous drug users and haemophiliacs, most of whom are co-infected. Moreover, the risk of hepatotoxicity is higher with anti-HIV drugs among patients with chronic hepatitis C. Treatment with alpha-interferon provides a similar rate of response in non-severely immunosuppressed HIV-positive subjects as in HIV-negatives, and preliminary results from trials using the combination of interferon plus ribavirin in HIV-HCV co-infection look very promising for both rates of sustained response and safety.
Soriano
V
V
Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Carlos III, Instituto de Salud Carlos III Madrid, Spain. vsoriano@dragonet.es
Garcìa-Samaniego
J
J
Rodrìguez-Rosado
R
R
Gonzàlez
J
J
Pedreira
J
J
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans
D000998:Antiviral Agents