Abacavir does not influence the rate of virological response in HIV-HCV-coinfected patients treated with pegylated interferon and weight-adjusted ribavirin.
BACKGROUND
The combination of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) is the standard of care for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in HIV-coinfected individuals. In 2007, abacavir (ABC)-based antiretroviral therapy was, for the first time, reported to be associated with early virological failure during HCV treatment. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of ABC on the response rate to HCV therapy.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis of HIV-HCV-coinfected patients treated with PEG-IFN and weight-adjusted RBV in four hospitals in Spain was performed. An analysis of baseline descriptive variables was conducted. Logistic regression models were used to test possible associations between non-response and pretreatment characteristics, including antiretroviral drugs.


RESULTS
A total of 244 HIV-HCV-coinfected patients treated with PEG-IFN and RBV were included. Overall, 85% of patients were on highly active antiretroviral therapy; of these patients, 24% received ABC-based regimens. The most frequent genotypes were 1 and 3. RBV dosing was 213.2 mg/kg/day in 97% of the patients. In the global intent-to-treat analyses, 46.3% of patients reached a sustained virological response (SVR; 46.2% in ABC group versus 46.7% in non-ABC group, P=1). The only two factors in the multivariate analysis that were statistically associated with an increased risk of failure to achieve SVR were HCV genotypes 1 or 4 and older age. The use of ABC was not associated with failure to achieve SVR at any of the other time points evaluated.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that the use of ABC-based regimens in the context of HCV therapy does not negatively affect the outcome of this treatment.
Laufer
Natalia
N
Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain. natalialaufer@gmail.com
Laguno
Montserrat
M
Perez
Iñaki
I
Cifuentes
Carmen
C
Murillas
Javier
J
Vidal
Francesc
F
Bonet
Lucia
L
Veloso
Sergio
S
Gatell
José María
JM
Mallolas
Josep
J
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000099227:Abacavir
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D012254:Ribavirin; D000099227:Abacavir; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a