title: Evaluation of the therapeutic response of hepatitis C in coinfected patients (HIV/HCV): a study of cases from a hospital for chronic liver diseases in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic response of hepatitis C in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of 20 patients coinfected with HIV-1/HCV who were treated in the outpatient liver clinic at the Sacred House of Mercy Foundation Hospital of Pará (Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará - FSCMPA) from April 2004 to June 2009. Patients were treated with 180 µg PEG interferon-α2a in combination with ribavirin (1,000 to 1,250 mg/day) for 48 weeks. The end point was the sustained virological response (SVR) rate (HCV RNA negative 24 weeks after completing treatment).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 40 ± 9.5 years, of which 89% (n = 17) were male, and the HCV genotypes were genotype 1 (55%, n = 11/20), genotype 2 (10%, n = 2/20) and genotype 3 (35%, n = 7/20). The mean CD4+ lymphocyte count was 507.8, and the liver fibrosis stages were (METAVIR) F1 (25%), F2 (55%), F3 (10%) and F4 (10%). The early virological response (EVR) was 60%, the end-of-treatment virological response (EOTVR) was 45% and the SVR was 45%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The median HCV viral load was high, and in 85% of cases in which highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was used, none of the patients with F3-F4 fibrosis responded to treatment. Of the twenty patients treated, 45% achieved SVR and 45% achieved EOTVR. Studies that include cases from a wider region are needed to better evaluate these findings.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Hepatopatias Crônicas, Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará, Belém, PA, Brasil. ivanetesaa@ufpa.br
authors.forename: Ivanete do Socorro Abraçado
authors.initials: Ido S
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: Lizomar de Jesus Maués Pereira
authors.initials: Lde J
authors.lastname: Móia
authors.forename: Maria Silvia de Brito
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demachki
authors.forename: Marialva Tereza Ferreira de
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Manoel do Carmo
authors.initials: Mdo C
authors.lastname: Soares
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D060085:Coinfection / Q000821:virology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a