The preliminary efficacy of interferon-alpha and ribavirin combination treatment of chronic hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>It is internationally accepted that in drug-naïve individuals with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection, chronic hepatitis C should be treated first if the CD4 cell count does not require the initiation of anti-retroviral therapy. Present paper evaluated the clinical effect and side-effect of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy for Chinese patients with HCV-HIV co-infection, and compared with them for HIV infection alone.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ten patients with HCV-HIV and 17 patients with HCV received 5 million unit IFNalpha-2b every other day intramuscularly, and 300 mg RBV triple daily by oral. Dynamic observations were made for HCV RNA and HIV RNA loads, CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte counts, liver function and blood cell measurement, and the medicine side-effects.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 12-week and 24-week treatments of IFN-alpha and RBV combination therapy, mean HCV RNA levels reduced 1.14 logs and 1.56 logs from the baseline at week 0 in HCV-HIV co-infection, and reduced 1.48 logs and 1.75 logs in HCV infection, respectively. The HIV RNA levels decreased 1.22 logs and 1.32 logs from the base line; however, there were no obvious different changes at T lymphocyte counts of HCV-HIV and HCV patients through 24-week treatments. Whole 27 patients showed satisfactory biochemical response to therapy. There were some mild or mediate influence-like symptoms, intestinal uncomfortable and depressed blood cell counts in early stage of the treatments. No neuropsychiatric and auto-immune disorders were found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>IFN-alpha and RBV combination therapy had similar anti-HCV effects during 24-week treatment for HCV-HIV and HCV infected Chinese patients, and some anti-HIV effect. There were no obvious different biochemical responses and side-effects between two groups above.</p>

Interferon-alpha and ribavirin combination therapy for co-infection of hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical effect and side-effect of interferon-alpha (IFN-a) and ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy for Chinese patients with co-infection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and to compare them with only HIV infection patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>10 patients with HCV-HIV and 17 patients with only HCV infection received 5 million units of IFNalpha-2b every other day intramuscularly, and 300 mg RBV orally three times a day. Dynamic observations were done for HCV RNA and HIV RNA loads, CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte counts, liver function and blood cell measures, and the side-effects of the medicines.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 12 weeks and 24 weeks of IFNalpha and RBV combination therapy, mean HCV RNA levels reduced 1.14 log (t = 3.843, P < 0.01) and 2.08 log (t =6.564, P < 0.01) from the baseline at week 0 in the HCV-HIV co-infection group, and reduced 1.48 log (t = 6.438, P less than 0.01) and 2.33 log (t = 7.343, P < 0.01) in the HCV infection group. Meanwhile, the HIV RNA levels decreased 1.22 log (t = 3.662, P < 0.01) and 1.73 log (t = 6.119, P < 0.01) from the base line. However, there were no obvious different changes among T lymphocyte counts of HCV-HIV and HCV patients at week 0, week 12 and week 24. All 27 patients showed satisfactory biochemical response to therapy. There were some mild or moderate influenza-like symptoms, intestinal discomfort and decreased blood cell counts in the early stages of the treatments. No neuropsychic and auto-immune disorders were found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>IFNalpha-2b and RBV combination therapy showed similar anti-HCV effects during the 24 week treatment for HCV-HIV and HCV infected patients, and some anti-HIV effect was also observed. No obvious different biochemical responses and side-effects were found between the above two groups.</p>