Natural History of HIV-HCV Coinfection in Children

Coinfection with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a growing problem among adults, but has not been well studied in children.

As reported at the 46th ICAAC, held last week in San Francisco, Spanish researchers conducted a retrospective multi-center study in children vertically coinfected with both HIV and HCV; subjects were not receiving HAART. They analyzed medical records from the coinfected children from birth through 9-16 years, and compared data with those from a control group of 15 children vertically infected with HIV alone.

Results

The coinfected children had 25% lower CD4 cell counts and 4.5 logs higher HIV viral loads during the first 2 years of life compared with the HIV monoinfected patients.

CD4 counts later increased in the coinfected children, reaching levels similar to those of the monoinfected patients by the third year of life.

Coinfected children had higher CD8 cell counts than monoinfected children during the first 4 years of life.

HIV-HCV coinfected children had higher liver enzyme (ALT, AST and GGT) levels than monoinfected children, with a 2-phase evolution.

Conclusion

The researchers concluded that vertically coinfected children had an "acceptable immunologic evolution" and HIV viral loads by the third year of life as compared with HIV monoinfected children, but the coinfected children showed signs of liver disease progression.

Hosp. Gen. Universitario "Gregorio Maranon", Madrid, Spain; Hosp. Universitario "12 de Octubre", Madrid, Spain; Hosp. Universitario "La Paz", Madrid, Spain; Hosp. Universitario "Carlos III", Madrid, Spain; Hosp. Universitario "Carlos Haya", Malaga, Spain.

10/06/06

Reference
D Micheloud, J Jensen, M Gurbindo Gutierrez, and others. The Natural History of Children Co-infected HCV and HIV. 46th ICAAC. San Francisco, CA. September 27-30, 2006. Abstract H-1890.

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