Impact of protease inhibitors on intrahepatic hepatitis C virus viral load

AIDS. 2001 Sep 7;15(13):1736-8. doi: 10.1097/00002030-200109070-00021.

Abstract

During chronic hepatitis C, hepatitis C virus (HCV) load in plasma was shown to be higher in HIV-co-infected than in immunocompetent patients [1]. The reason for this increased HCV replication is not known. It may be as a result of HIV-induced immune deficiency [2], although some authors did not find any correlation with the CD4 cell count [3]. A direct interaction between HCV and HIV was also hypothesized [4]. Protease inhibitors (PI) used in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) have no HCV reduction effect during the first months of treatment [5-8]. However, a decrease in HCV plasma load was recently described in patients treated with HAART for a year [9,10]. We therefore investigated the potential impact of HAART on intrahepatic HCV load.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / complications*
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy*
  • Hepacivirus / physiology
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / complications*
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / drug therapy*
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / virology
  • Humans
  • Liver / virology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Protease Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • RNA, Viral / analysis
  • RNA, Viral / blood

Substances

  • Protease Inhibitors
  • RNA, Viral