title: The impact of hepatitis C virus coinfection on HIV progression before and after highly active antiretroviral therapy.
abstract: To compare the impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection on progression of HIV infection in the eras before and after the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the authors conducted a retrospective cohort study. One hundred twenty-five HCV+ patients and 1076 HCV- patients were studied; 83% of HCV+ patients were injection drug users. HCV+ subjects experienced no clear benefit from HAART. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of opportunistic infection, death, and hospitalization were 0.74 (95% CI: 0.31-1.78), 1.78 (95% CI: 0.59-5.37), and 2.1 (95% CI: 0.90-4.90), respectively, comparing the post-HAART era with the pre-HAART era. In contrast, HCV- subjects experienced rate reductions for all outcomes. Comparable HRs for opportunistic infection, death, and hospitalization were 0.49 (95% CI: 0.37-0.64), 0.28 (95% CI: 0.19-0.41), and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.38-0.67), respectively. HCV+ subjects remained at increased risk for death and hospitalization post-HAART even after additional adjustment for antiretroviral use and time-updated CD4 cell and viral load measures. Deaths and hospitalizations in HCV+ patients were primarily for non-AIDS-defining infections and complications of injection drug use. HCV coinfection and comorbidity associated with injection drug use are preventing the realization of substantial health benefits associated with HAART.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases/Immunodeficiency, Department of Medicine, Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. marina.klein@muhc.mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Marina B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Lalonde
authors.forename: Samy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suissa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology