title: Nanomedicines in the treatment of patients with hepatitis C co-infected with HIV--focus on pegylated interferon-alpha.
abstract: In immuno-competent individuals, the natural course of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is highly variable and 5%-30% of patients develop cirrhosis over 20 years. Co-infection with HCV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an important prognostic factor and associated with more frequent and accelerated progression to cirrhosis. Until recently HIV/AIDS-related complications were life limiting in patients co-infected with HCV; the introduction of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) and the better prognosis of HIV infection has made HCV-related complications an emerging health problem in HCV/HIV coinfected individuals. Treatment of chronic HCV infection has also evolved since the introduction of interferon-alpha. Recently, introduction of pegylated interferon-alpha (peginterferon-alpha) has resulted in an increase in sustained virus clearance rates of up to 80% in selected genotypes and patient populations. The safety and efficacy of modern anti HCV treatment regimens - based on peginterferon-alpha in combination with ribavirin - was evaluated in 4 controlled trials. Sustained clearance of hepatitis C virus can be achieved in up to 35% of patients with HIV/HCV co-infection, and novel HCV treatment regimens based on peginterferon-alpha have no negative effect on the control of HIV disease. In conclusion, if HIV infection is well controlled and CD4+ cell counts >100/mm3, treatment of chronic hepatitis C with peginterferon in combination with ribavirin is safe and should be given for 48 weeks regardless of the HCV genotype. Introduction of peginterferon-alpha has significantly improved adherence to treatment and treatment efficacy; in particular sustained virologic response in patients with HCV genotype 1 or 4 infection improved, but sustained viral clearance in only 7%-38% of patients infected with genotype I and 4 cannot be the final step in development of effective treatments in patients with HCV/HIV co-infection.
authors.affiliation: Innsbruck Medical University, University Hospital of Innsbruck, Department of Medicine, Clinical Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Anichstrasse 35, Austria.
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zoller
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vogel
mesh_terms: D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols