title: Comparison of cognitive performance in HIV or HCV mono-infected and HIV-HCV co-infected patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to explore the interplay between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in the expression of cognitive disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a multi-centre cross-sectional study, enrolling three groups of asymptomatic outpatients matched for age and education: (1) HIV mono-infected; (2) HCV mono-infected; (3) HIV-HCV co-infected. All subjects were subjected to the Zung depression scale and a comprehensive neuropsychological battery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 50 patients for each group were enrolled. Patients in the three groups did not significantly differ in the main common demographic and clinical characteristics, except for a lower proportion of past injecting drug use (IDU) in group 1 (4 %) in comparison to groups 2 (38 %, p < 0.001) and 3 (78 %, p < 0.001), a longer duration of HIV infection in group 3 in comparison to group 1 (p < 0.001) and a longer duration of HCV infection in group 3 in comparison to group 2 (p = 0.028). Overall, 39.3 % of patients showed minor cognitive impairment, with a higher proportion in group 3 (54 %) when compared to groups 1 (28 %, p = 0.015) or 2 (36 %, p = 0.108). Patients in group 3 [odds ratio (OR) 3.35, p = 0.038 when compared to group 1] and those with higher depression scores (OR 1.05, p = 0.017) showed an increased risk of cognitive impairment after adjusting for education and past injection drug use. In particular, group 3 showed worse performance in psychomotor speed tasks when compared to group 1 (p = 0.033).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A worse cognitive performance in HIV-HCV co-infected patients was observed, suggesting an additive role of the two viruses in the pathogenesis of cognitive disorders.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, Rome, 00168, Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ciccarelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fabbiani
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Falasca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tana
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baldonero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colafigli
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Silveri
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vecchiet
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cauda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Giambenedetto
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000821:virology*; D060085:Coinfection / Q000523:psychology* / Q000821:virology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology* / Q000821:virology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000523:psychology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors