Efficacy and tolerance of HCV treatment in HIV-HCV coinfected patients: The potential interaction of PI treatment

Purpose: To evaluate tolerance and efficacy of an open-label interferon-ribavirin treatment and their determinants in 62 HCV-HIV coinfectedr patients in routine followup. Method: Patients received at least 6 and up to 12 months of combination interferon alpha-2b (peg or not) plus ribavirin. Determinants of therapeutic success were estimated by a multivariate logistic regression. Results: Five patients stopped the study, 4 were lost to follow-up, and 53 participated in the entire therapeutic protocol. Among these 53, the end-of-treatment results showed complete clearance of HCV-RNA in 17 (32%). A sustained virologic response (SVR) after 6 or 9 months was observed in 9 (17%) patients, 3 relapsed, and data were not available for 5. Genotype 3a (odds ratio [OR] = 14.4; confidence interval [Cl] = 1.84-110.3) favored SVR and treatment with protease inhibitor (131) therapeutic resistance (OR = 14.4; Cl = 1.01-200); as well, a higher fibrosis score tended to increase resistance (P = .11). Adverse events were reported by 24/53 patients (45.3%). Conclusion: HCV therapy associating interferon and ribavirin in HCV-HIV coinfected patients is well accepted even if tolerance is moderate. Treatment permitted SVR in at least 17% of the cases. This is likely when patients initiate treatment at the early fibrosis stage and are infected with genotype 3a. The potential interaction with PI therapy should be explored.