As
reported in the October 2, 2007 advance online edition of the Journal of Hepatology,
French researchers analyzed the barriers to anti-HCV treatment among 380 HIV-HCV
coinfected patients surveyed in November 2004 and 416 patients surveyed in April
2006, focusing on changes over time.
Results
•
Compared with 2004, the patients surveyed in 2006 were twice as likely to have
undetectable HCV viral load (12% vs 24%).
•The
rate of liver biopsy was similar (54% vs 56%), and 24% had undergone non-invasive
liver fibrosis assessment.
•
Nearly twice as many
patients surveyed in 2006 had received previous treatment for hepatitis C (48%
vs 26%).
•
The main reasons for
lack for anti-HCV treatment changed between the 2004 and 2006 surveys:
-
HCV treatment deemed questionable (53% vs 44%); - lack of liver biopsy (33%
vs 18%); - physicians' conviction of poor patient adherence (30% vs 20%).
•
In both surveys,
treated patients were more often of European origin, had better controlled HIV
infection, and had more frequent liver damage assessment.
Conclusion
"The
care of HIV-HCV coinfected patients has changed significantly in 'real life',"
the authors concluded. "These results underline the importance of continuing
efforts to educate physicians and patients in order to increase the access of
coinfected patients to HCV treatment."
10/26/07
Reference P
Cacoub, P Halfon, E Rosenthal, and others. Treatment of hepatitis C virus in human
immunodeficiency virus infected patients in "real life": Modifications
in two large surveys between 2004 and 2006. Journal of Hepatology. October
2, 2007 [Epub ahead of print].
