Coinfection with HIV-1 and HCV--a one-two punch.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and death; it is estimated that 180 million persons are infected with HCV worldwide. The consequences of HCV are worse in those who are coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), which is unfortunately a common scenario because of shared risk factors of the viruses. More studies into effects of HCV/HIV-1 coinfection are needed, but efforts have been hampered by limitations in our understanding of the combined pathogenesis of the 2 viruses. Gaining insight into the mechanisms that underlie the immunopathogenesis of these persistent viral infections could lead to new therapeutic strategies for patients with HCV/HIV-1 coinfection.
Kim
Arthur Y
AY
Division of Infectious Diseases and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. akim1@partners.org
Chung
Raymond T
RT
D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D007110:Immunity, Active; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000821:virology; D014779:Virus Replication