title: HCV/HIV co-infection at a large HIV outpatient clinic in Sweden: feasibility and results of hepatitis C treatment.
abstract: We investigated the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection in HIV-infected patients at a large Swedish outpatient clinic. We also evaluated the feasibility of treating this patient group with pegylated-interferon alpha-2a and ribavirin (RBV) and found that only a small fraction of the HCV/HIV co-infected patients met the criteria for HCV treatment when following international guidelines. Thus, 11 patients were treated, and HCV kinetics were measured during early treatment. The overall treatment response rate was surprisingly high (73%) and correlated to early virological response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine Solna, Infectious Diseases Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. karolin.falconer@karolinska.se
authors.forename: Karolin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Falconer
authors.forename: Johan K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Sandberg
authors.forename: Olle
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Reichard
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alaeus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013548:Sweden; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a