Hepatitis C virus coinfection does not influence the CD4 cell recovery in HIV-1-infected patients with maximum virologic suppression.
BACKGROUND
Conflicting data exist whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects the CD4 cell recovery in patients with HIV starting antiretroviral treatment.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of HCV coinfection on the CD4 recovery in patients with maximum virologic suppression within the EuroSIDA cohort.


METHODS
Patients tested for anti-HCV antibodies and with at least 2 consecutive HIV viral loads (VLs) <50 copies per milliliter after starting combination antiretroviral therapy were eligible for inclusion. For each pair of VL <50 copies per milliliter, the annual change in CD4 count was calculated and compared between (1) HCV-seronegative vs. HCV-seropositive patients, (2) HCV genotypes 1-4 in HCV-RNA+ patients, and (3) viremic vs. aviremic (HCV-RNA < 615 IU/mL) in HCV-seropositive patients. Results were adjusted for known confounders.


RESULTS
Four thousand two hundred eight patients were included, representing 39,474 pairs of HIV VL measurements with VL <50 copies per milliliter and 12,492 person-years of follow-up. The unadjusted annual change in CD4 count for HCV-seropositive and HCV-seronegative patients was 35.5 cells per milliliter (95% confidence interval 27.2 to 43.9) and 38.3 cells per milliliter (95%confidence interval 34.8 to 41.9), respectively. After adjustment, there was no difference in CD4 change when comparing, according to HCV serostatus (P = 0.17), between genotypes (P = 0.23) or when comparing HCV viremic vs. aviremic patients (P = 0.57). Adjusting additionally for HCV treatment and HCV-RNA VL did not change the findings.


CONCLUSIONS
HCV serostatus did not influence the CD4 recovery in patients with HIV with maximum virologic suppression after starting combination antiretroviral therapy. Furthermore, no difference in CD4 gain was found when comparing distinct HCV genotypes in HCV-RNA+ patients or when comparing HCV viremic vs. aviremic HCV-seropositive patients.
Copenhagen HIV Programme, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Lars
L
Peters
Amanda
A
Mocroft
Vincent
V
Soriano
Jürgen K
JK
Rockstroh
Marcelo
M
Losso
Laure
L
Valerio
Pauls
P
Aldins
Peter
P
Reiss
Bruno
B
Ledergerber
Jens D
JD
Lundgren
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015497:HIV-1; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019562:Viral Load
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents