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Abstract
Efficacy and safety of therapy with interferon and ribavirin in HIV infected patients with chronic hepatitis C
F Sanchez Montero
Complejo Hospitalario de Caceres, Caceres, Spain
Background: The introduction of highly active antirretroviral therapy (HAART) has prolonged the life expectancy of patients with HIV infection. Concomitanly, end-stage liver disease is a leading cause of morbi-mortality. There is an increasing need for active therapeutic regimens to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in HIV-positive patients.
Objetives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combination therapy of interferon alfa 2b (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in HIV infected patients.
Methods: Twenty one patients coinfected with HCV and HIV were treated with IFN (3MU three times per week) and RBV (400 mg twice a day) for 24 weeks. Only patients with CD4 counts > 350 cells/ml and HIV-RNA < 10000 copies/ml were included.
Results: The rate of sustained response (SR) was 43%. At the end of treatment, sixteen patients achieved clearance of HCV RNA. All patients with HCV RNA clearance at the end of treatment had a concomitant biochemical response. In all patients, HIV viremia did not increase during treatment as compared to baseline values. Five of 21 patients experienced a decline in absolute, but not in percentage of CD4+ cell count during treatment.The dose of RBV was reduced in two patients in whom the haemoglobin concentration had decresed to < 9.5 g/dl. One patient experienced severe neutropenia, with neutrophil count of 0.7 X 109 cells/l and was necesary a 50% reduction of IFN dose.
Conclusions: Our data indicate that combination therapy with IFN and RBV is well tolerated in patients with HIV-HCV coinfection. The rate of SR (43%) is similar to that seem in HIV negative subjects.
The XIV International AIDS Conference
Abstract no.
WePeB6018
Suggested Citation
" F Sanchez Montero ,
Efficacy and safety of therapy with interferon and ribavirin in HIV infected patients with chronic hepatitis C
.
Poster Exhibition:
The XIV International AIDS Conference:
Abstract no.
WePeB6018"
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