Virological Response Is Similar in HCV Monoinfected and HIV-HCV Coinfected Patients with HCV Genotypes 2 or 3


HIV and AIDS Main Section Hepatitis C Main Section HIV-HCV Coinfection Main Section

By Liz Highleyman

Studies have shown that HIV-HCV coinfected individuals respond less well to interferon-based therapy for chronic hepatitis C than those with HCV alone. Various other factors also play a role in treatment response, including HCV genotype, degree of early response, and duration and doses of therapy.

As reported in the April 23, 2008 issue of AIDS, Swedish researchers prospectively studied early HCV viral kinetics and sustained virological response (SVR) rates in 13 HIV-HCV coinfected patients and 26 matched HCV monoinfected subjects with HCV genotypes 2 or 3 (which that are easier to treat than genotypes 1 or 4).

Study participants received 135 mcg/week pegylated interferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) plus 11 mg/kg daily ribavirin for 24 weeks. (Standard doses are 150 mcg/week Pegasys and 800-1200 mg weight-based ribavirin.)

Results

• There was no significant difference between the HIV-HCV coinfected and HCV monoinfected patients in HCV RNA decay at any time point during the initial 12 weeks of therapy.

• In an intent-to-treat analysis, 9 of 13 coinfected patients (69%) achieved sustained virological response, compared with versus 20 of 26 HCV monoinfected patients (77%).

Conclusion

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that HIV-HCV coinfected and HCV monoinfected individuals respond similarly to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin.

"The lower-than-standard [pegylated interferon] dose offered high compliance and reasonable sustained virological response rates," they wrote.

5/13/08

Reference
O Karlstrom, A Sonnerborg, O Weiland. Similar hepatitis C virus RNA kinetics in HIV/hepatitis C virus monoinfected genotype 2 or 3 matched controls during hepatitis C virus combination therapy. AIDS 22(7): 899-901. April 23, 2008.