Hepatitis C in HIV-infected individuals: cure and control, right now

J Int AIDS Soc. 2011 May 8:14:22. doi: 10.1186/1758-2652-14-22.

Abstract

For persons living with HIV, hepatitis C is a major public health problem that must be controlled and could be eliminated. The challenge arises because the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is prevalent among HIV-infected persons in most parts of the world, because HIV worsens all HCV outcomes, and because HCV may add additional individual economic and psychosocial complications to HIV disease. Despite the major benefits of antiretroviral therapy on HIV outcomes, antiretroviral therapy is not sufficient to halt the complications of HCV. Nonetheless, HCV can be controlled at all stages, including prevention of infection and cure. Thus, HCV is an eradicable disease. There are significant inequalities worldwide in HCV control that could markedly constrain the impact of these measures.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / drug therapy
  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / epidemiology
  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / prevention & control*
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Communicable Disease Control
  • HIV Infections / complications*
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis C / complications
  • Hepatitis C / drug therapy
  • Hepatitis C / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis C / prevention & control*
  • Humans

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents