title: Prevalence and Risk Factors for Significant Liver Fibrosis in Patients with HIV Infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was the evaluation of liver fibrosis in a population of patients monoinfected with HIV using the transient liver elastography (FibroScan) method.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 228 consecutive patients with HIV were evaluated: 80 (35.09%) were HIV-1 monoinfected and 148 (64.91%) (HIV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infected. Echoic liver diagnosis was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  F2 Metavir-score fibrosis or higher was found to be associated with drug addiction, alanine aminotransferase >80 UI/l, cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4(+)) T lymphocytes nadir <200 copies/ml, therapy duration, protease inhibitor (PI)-based antiretroviral regimen, HCV infection and AIDS diagnosis. Multivariate analysis highlighted a significant association with drug addiction, AIDS diagnosis, therapy duration and HCV co-infection. Echoic liver diagnosis showed signs of damage among 43.75% of monoinfected patients vs. 62.84% among co-infected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Monoinfected patients showed pathological signs both at liver ultrasonography and at FibroScan. In the onset of these changes, a significant role by HIV disease and duration of therapy is observed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease, University of Bari, Bari, Italy p_maggi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maggi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altizio
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: DI Biagio
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nicolini
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tancorre
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellacosa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ladisa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Gioacchino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Angarano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D060085:Coinfection; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: FibroScan; HCV; HIV; antiretroviral therapy; monoinfected patients