title: Hepatitis C virus infection in HIV type 1-infected individuals does not accelerate a decrease in the CD4+ cell count but does increase the likelihood of AIDS-defining events.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) appears to adversely affect hepatitis C, but whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) has a reciprocal effect on HIV-1 infection remains a point of controversy. In a multivariate analysis of a cohort of 5832 individuals, we found that individuals coinfected with HCV and HIV-1 (prevalence of coinfection, 5.8%) had a CD4+ cell count that decreased at a rate similar to that for individuals infected with HIV-1 alone. However, coinfection was associated with a statistically significant increased likelihood of onset of an acquired immunodeficiency syndromedefining illness or developing a CD4+ cell count of <200 cells/mm3, compared with infection with HIV-1 alone (hazard ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.072.17). Patients who were naive to highly active antiretroviral therapy were significantly less likely to progress to either end point, because of their higher CD4+ cell counts. In conclusion, there was an increased number of adverse events in coinfected individuals, compared with individuals infected with HIV-1 alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of HIV Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, United Kingdom. j.stebbing@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stebbing
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: Sundhiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mandalia
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bower
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gazzard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents