Importance of hepatitis C coinfection in the development of QT prolongation in HIV-infected patients.
BACKGROUND
Case reports and unblinded studies suggest that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease is associated with QT prolongation and torsade de pointes ventricular tachycardia. Hepatitis C coinfection is common in patients with HIV disease, and cirrhosis is also associated with QT prolongation. We therefore undertook a systematic analysis of the role of liver injury, nutritional state, and coinfection with hepatitis C in the etiology of QT prolongation in HIV disease.


METHODS
We performed a blinded, controlled retrospective cohort study of 1648 patients over a 3-year period at a university-affiliated municipal hospital. All electrocardiograms were included if patients with HIV disease had measurements of CD4 count and viral load within 3 months and serum electrolytes within 30 days (n = 816). Control subjects were chosen randomly from the general medicine service (n = 832). QT interval was measured in lead II and corrected for heart rate by Bazett's formula (QTc).


RESULTS
QTc was slightly but significantly longer in patients with HIV disease than in controls (443 +/- 37 vs 436 +/- 36 milliseconds, P < .001). Patients with hepatitis C had more pronounced QTc prolongation (452 +/- 41 vs 437 +/- 35 milliseconds, P < .001). CD4 count, HIV viral load, and HIV medications had no effect on QTc. When patients with hepatitis C were excluded from the analysis, there was no statistical difference between patients with HIV disease and controls (438 +/- 34 vs 436 +/- 36 milliseconds, P = .336). Multiple linear regression revealed that both HIV and hepatitis C infection predicted QTc prolongation, as did age, female sex, history of hypertension, use of opiates, low serum K+ and albumin, and high AST. Hepatitis C coinfection nearly doubled the risk of QTc of 470 milliseconds or greater in patients with HIV disease (29.6% vs 15.8%, P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C infections both independently prolong QTc. Coinfection with hepatitis C greatly increases the likelihood of clinically significant QTc prolongation in patients with HIV disease.
Nordin
Charles
C
Department of Medicine, Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. nordin@aecom.yu.edu
Kohli
Amit
A
Beca
Sorin
S
Zaharia
Valentin
V
Grant
Taneisha
T
Leider
Jason
J
Marantz
Paul
P
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019562:Viral Load