title: Effect of accompanying antiretroviral drugs on virological response to pegylated interferon and ribavirin in patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C virus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effects of antiretroviral drugs on the response to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin remain uncertain. We evaluated whether antiretroviral drugs affected the response to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin in patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV).
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective analysis of two cohorts of HIV/HCV-co-infected patients treated with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin between 2001 and 2007 in Spain. The outcome measure was sustained virological response (SVR). Logistic regression models were used to test possible associations between non-response and pre-treatment characteristics, including accompanying antiretroviral drugs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study sample comprised 1701 patients: 63% were infected with HCV genotype (G) 1 or 4 and 88% were taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Factors independently associated with increased odds of SVR were G2 or 3, HVC RNA <500,000 IU/mL and CDC clinical category A or B. When we adjusted for these prognostic factors and dose of ribavirin/kg, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of SVR for patients without HAART was 1.31 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91-1.88; P = 0.144]. Taking the backbone of tenofovir and lamivudine/emtricitabine as a reference, we found that, with the exception of regimens including zidovudine, the effect of other nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor backbones had little effect on SVR. The AOR of SVR for zidovudine and lamivudine was 0.65 (95% CI 0.46-0.93, P = 0.017). We carried out several sensitivity analyses, the results of which were consistent with the findings of the primary analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that, with the exception of regimens including zidovudine, accompanying antiretroviral drugs have little effect on the virological response to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin in HIV/HCV-co-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. jbb4@me.com
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berenguer
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: von Wichmann
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quereda
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miralles
authors.forename: Josép
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mallolas
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López-Aldeguer
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Pellicer
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Miguel
authors.forename: Manel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Guardiola
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tellez
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Galindo
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arponen
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barquilla
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bellón
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González-García
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013030:Spain; D017211:Treatment Failure; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons