TY - JOUR
T1 - Anti-hepatitis C virus treatment may prevent the progression of liver fibrosis in non-responder human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus coinfected patients
AU - Sagnelli, Caterina
AU - Uberti-Foppa, Caterina
AU - Galli, Laura
AU - Pasquale, Giuseppe
AU - Coppola, Nicola
AU - Albarello, Luca
AU - Doglioni, Carlo
AU - Lazzarin, Adriano
AU - Sagnelli, Evangelista
PY - 2014/3
Y1 - 2014/3
N2 - Aim: To evaluate changes in liver histology in patients with human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus coinfection non-responders to a suboptimal Interferon. +. Ribavirine regimen. Materials and methods: We investigated 49 patients with two sequential liver biopsies: 18 were non-responders to Interferon. +. Ribavirine treatment (Group hepatitis C virus Rx) administered after the 1st liver biopsy who underwent a 2nd liver biopsy after a median period of 3.92 year and 31 were patients who remained untreated for hepatitis C virus disease (Group hepatitis C virus untreated) after the 1st liver biopsy because of refusal and underwent a 2nd liver biopsy after a median period of 5.05-years. Most patients in both groups were under highly active antiretroviral therapy. At the time of 1st liver biopsy similar degrees of necro-inflammation, fibrosis and steatosis were observed in both groups. Changes in liver lesions between 1st and 2nd liver biopsys were adjusted for different intervals between liver biopsys by a mathematic formula. Results: Liver fibrosis did not change in 88.9% of patients in Group hepatitis C virus Rx and in 77.4% in Group hepatitis C virus untreated. A marked deterioration in liver fibrosis was observed in 5 (16%) patients in Group hepatitis C virus untreated and in none in Group hepatitis C virus treated. Necro-inflammation and steatosis remained substantially unchanged in both groups. Conclusion: Liver histology remained substantially unchanged in human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus patients non-responder to anti-hepatitis C virus therapy over 4 years observation, suggesting an effective anti-hepatitis C virus early treatment for all hepatitis C virus/human immunodeficiency virus coinfected patients who can reasonably tolerate therapy.
AB - Aim: To evaluate changes in liver histology in patients with human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus coinfection non-responders to a suboptimal Interferon. +. Ribavirine regimen. Materials and methods: We investigated 49 patients with two sequential liver biopsies: 18 were non-responders to Interferon. +. Ribavirine treatment (Group hepatitis C virus Rx) administered after the 1st liver biopsy who underwent a 2nd liver biopsy after a median period of 3.92 year and 31 were patients who remained untreated for hepatitis C virus disease (Group hepatitis C virus untreated) after the 1st liver biopsy because of refusal and underwent a 2nd liver biopsy after a median period of 5.05-years. Most patients in both groups were under highly active antiretroviral therapy. At the time of 1st liver biopsy similar degrees of necro-inflammation, fibrosis and steatosis were observed in both groups. Changes in liver lesions between 1st and 2nd liver biopsys were adjusted for different intervals between liver biopsys by a mathematic formula. Results: Liver fibrosis did not change in 88.9% of patients in Group hepatitis C virus Rx and in 77.4% in Group hepatitis C virus untreated. A marked deterioration in liver fibrosis was observed in 5 (16%) patients in Group hepatitis C virus untreated and in none in Group hepatitis C virus treated. Necro-inflammation and steatosis remained substantially unchanged in both groups. Conclusion: Liver histology remained substantially unchanged in human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus patients non-responder to anti-hepatitis C virus therapy over 4 years observation, suggesting an effective anti-hepatitis C virus early treatment for all hepatitis C virus/human immunodeficiency virus coinfected patients who can reasonably tolerate therapy.
KW - HIV infection
KW - HIV/HCV coinfection
KW - HIV/HCV coinfection liver histology
KW - Liver fibrosis
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U2 - 10.1016/j.bjid.2013.06.005
DO - 10.1016/j.bjid.2013.06.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 24650995
AN - SCOPUS:84897595803
VL - 18
SP - 164
EP - 169
JO - Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases
SN - 1413-8670
IS - 2
ER -