title: Progression of liver fibrosis in monoinfected patients by hepatitis C virus and coinfected by HCV and human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The progression of liver fibrosis in patients coinfected by hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus (HCV/HIV) has been increasingly studied in the past decade. Studies made before the highly active antiretroviral therapy suggest that HIV can change the natural history of the HCV infection, leading to a faster progression of the liver fibrosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and compare the fibrosis progression in two groups of patients (HCV/HIV coinfected and HCV monoinfected)
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients HCV monoinfected and 26 patients HCV/HIV coinfected who had not undertaken HCV treatment and were submitted to serial percutaneous liver biopsies were retrospectively evaluated. There was no difference in the fibrosis progression between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fibrosis grade evolution was not worse in the coinfected patients. The immunosuppression absence and the shortest time period between the biopsies in the coinfected group are possible explanations.
authors: Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. cris.tovo@terra.com.br
authors: Cristiane Valle
authors: CV
authors: Tovo
authors: Smile Calisto da Costa
authors: SC
authors: Becker
authors: Paulo Roberto Lerias de
authors: PR
authors: Almeida
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Galperim
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Chaves
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D060085:Coinfection / Q000821:virology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019562:Viral Load