Boceprevir plus pegylated interferon/ribavirin to re-treat hepatitis C virus genotype 1 in HIV-HCV co-infected patients: final results of the Spanish BOC HIV-HCV Study.

INTRODUCTION: Boceprevir (BOC) was one of the first oral inhibitors of hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protease to be developed. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of BOC+pegylated interferon-α2a/ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV) in the retreatment of HIV-HCV co-infected patients with HCV genotype 1. METHODS: This was a phase III prospective trial. HIV-HCV (genotype 1) co-infected patients from 16 hospitals in Spain were included. These patients received 4 weeks of PEG-IFN/RBV (lead-in), followed by response-guided therapy with PEG-IFN/RBV plus BOC (a fixed 44 weeks was indicated in the case of cirrhosis). The primary endpoint was the sustained virological response (SVR) rate at 24 weeks post-treatment. Efficacy and safety were evaluated in all patients who received at least one dose of the study drug. RESULTS: From June 2013 to April 2014, 102 patients were enrolled, 98 of whom received at least one treatment dose. Seventy-three percent were male, 34% were cirrhotic, 23% had IL28b CC, 65% had genotype 1a, and 41% were previous null responders. The overall SVR rate was 67%. Previous null-responders and cirrhotic patients had lower SVR rates (57% and 51%, respectively). Seventy-six patients (78%) completed the therapy scheme; the most common reasons for discontinuation were lack of response at week 12 (12 patients) and adverse events (six patients). CONCLUSIONS: Response-guided therapy with BOC in combination with PEG-IFN/RBV led to an overall SVR rate of 67%, but an SVR rate of only 51% in patients with cirrhosis. The therapy was generally well tolerated. Although the current standards of care do not include BOC+PEG-IFN/RBV, the authors believe that this combination can be beneficial in situations where new HCV direct antiviral agent interferon-free therapies are not available yet.

Varón de 67 años, etilismo crónico y descompensación hidrópica / 67 year old male, chronic alcholism and hydropic descompensation

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[GB virus C: lack of association with transaminases levels, CD4 and HIV viral load in aids patients]. / Virus GB-C: ausencia de asociación con niveles de transaminasas, CD4 y carga vírica en pacientes con sida.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of GBV-C-RNA in sera of HIV-infected patients and determine whether differences in immunological condition and hepatic disease exist between GBV-C positive and negative patients. METHODS: The presence of GBV-C-RNA was determined in sera of 222 HIV-positive patients by semi-automated RT-PCR. A comparison of GBV-C-RNA positive and negative patients was made by studying a series of clinical and analytical parameters. This same comparison was made in particular between those coinfected with HCV and GBV-C and those who only presented GBV-C. RESULTS: Prevalence of GBV-C-RNA was 28.8%. The most frequent hepatotropic virus was HCV, appearing in 71.6% of cases. Coinfection with HCV and HGV was present in 17% and 8.6% only had GBV-C. Patients positive for GBV-C-RNA showed clinical and analytical characteristics similar to those found in GBV-C-RNA negative patients. Among the HCV-GBV-C coinfected and those presenting HGV as the only virus it was observed that the coinfected group presented alterations in transaminases and predominance of parenteral transmission as a risk factor for HIV, whereas the GBV-C group presented normal transaminases and predominance of sexual transmission. No differences were perceived in mean CD4 and HIV-RNA values in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Being positive for GBV-C in HIV-positive patients does not influence the presence of hepatic disease that in these patients is frequently accompanied by coinfection with other hepatotropic viruses. Moreover, it does not seem to influence the viremia of the HIV nor the CD4 cell counts.

Virus GB-C: ausencia de asociación con niveles de transaminasas, CD4 y carga vírica en pacientes con sida / Gb virus c: lack of association with aminotransferase levels, cd4 and hiv viral load in aids patients

Objetivo: Conocer la prevalencia del RNA-GBV-C en pacientes VIH positivos y determinar si existen diferencias entre VHG positivos y negativos en cuanto a situación inmunológica y afectación hepática. Métodos: Se determinó la presencia de RNA-GBV-C en el suero de 222 pacientes VIH positivos mediante una RT-PCR semi-automatizada. Se compararon los pacientes RNA-GBV-C positivos con los negativos en relación a una serie de parámetros clínicos y analíticos. La misma comparación se realizó de forma particular entre aquellos coinfectados con el VHC y GBV-C y los que sólo presentaban el GBV-C Resultados: La prevalencia del RNA-GBV-C fue del 28,8 por ciento. El virus hepatotropo más frecuente fue el VHC con el 71,6 por ciento de los casos. El 17 por ciento presentaban coinfección VHC y GBV-C y el 8,6 por ciento solo tenían el GBV-C. Los pacientes con RNA- GBV-C positivo tenían características clínicas y analíticas similares a los RNA-GBV-C negativos. Entre coinfectados VHC-GBV-C y los que presentaban el GBV-C como único virus se observó que el grupo de coinfectados presentó alteración de transaminasas y predominio de la transmisión parenteral como factor de riesgo para la infección VIH, frente al grupo GBV-C que presentó transaminasas normales y predominio de la transmisión sexual. No hubo diferencias entre ambos grupos en cuanto a la media de CD4 y cifras de RNAVIH. Conclusiones: La positividad del RNA-GBV-C en pacientes VIH no influye en la presencia de enfermedad hepática que viene determinada en estos pacientes por la frecuente coinfección con otros virus hepatotropos. Tampoco parece influir en la viremia del VIH ni en la cifra de CD4 (AU)

Objective: To study the prevalence of GBV-C-RNA in sera of HIV-infected patients and determine whether differences in immunological condition and hepatic disease exist between GBV-C positive and negative patients. Methods: The presence of GBV-C -RNA was determined in sera of 222 HIV-positive patients by semi-automated RT-PCR. A comparison of GBV-C-RNA positive and negative patients was made by studying a series of clinical and analytical parameters. This same comparison was made in particular between those coinfected with HCV and GBV-C and those who only presented GBV-C. Results: Prevalence of GBV-C-RNA was 28.8%. The most frequent hepatotropic virus was HCV, appearing in 71.6% of cases. Coinfection with HCV and HGV was present in 17% and 8.6% only had GBV-C. Patients positive for GBV-C-RNA showed clinical and analytical characteristics similar to those found in GBV-C-RNA negative patients. Among the HCV-GBV-C coinfected and those presenting HGV as the only virus it was observed that the coinfected group presented alterations in transaminases and predominance of parenteral transmission as a risk factor for HIV, whereas the GBV-C group presented normal transaminases and predominance of sexual transmission. No differences were perceived in mean CD4 and HIV-RNA values in both groups. Conclusions: Being positive for GBV-C in HIV-positive patients does not influence the presence of hepatic disease that in these patients is frequently accompanied by coinfection with other hepatotropic viruses. Moreover, it does not seem to influence the viremia of the HIV nor the CD4 cell counts (AU)

Eficacia del TAC abdominal en el diagnóstico de la acumulación de grasa víscero-abdominal en pacientes con infección por VIH tratados con inhibidores de proteasas / Effectiveness of the abdominal CT in diagnosis of the viscero-abdominal fat accumulation in HIV patients treated with protease inhibitors

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Long-term re-treatment with interferon and ribavirin combination therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C who are non-responders to interferon alone: a preliminary study.

We evaluated the efficacy and tolerance of ribavirin and IFN-alpha combination therapy over 12 months in 28 patients who were non-responders to IFN-alpha alone. Of 24 patients who have finished the therapy, 6 (25%) obtained a complete response (normal ALT and negative HCV RNA) at the end of treatment and maintained a sustained response 27% (5/18).

Transthyretin Tyr77 familial amyloid polyneuropathy: a clinicopathological study of a large kindred.

More than 40 point mutations (producing different clinical manifestations) have been described in diverse points of the plasma protein transthyretin (TTR). The Met30 is considered the most common mutation, the Tyr77 mutation being the second most prevalent. However, data from patients with this late mutation are scarce, and usually come from isolated case reports or tables. The Tyr77 mutation is not as well characterized as the Met30 mutation, especially with respect to such aspects as prognosis or possible treatment by liver transplantation. We therefore present the clinical and pathological features of an extensive family with the Tyr77 TTR mutation, comprising 12 affected individuals over four generations. Six living individuals were followed over a 10-year period. Retrospective data were obtained with regard to the deceased family members. We found that an initial and sometimes prolonged carpal tunnel syndrome, beginning between the 6th and 7th decades, characterizes the Tyr77 mutation. In most cases this evolved to generalized peripheral nerve involvement, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and intestinal malabsortion. Although survival is usually high, there are progressive cases that should be candidates for liver transplant, before severe impairment has developed.

[Neuropsychological changes in drug addicts infected with human immunodeficiency virus]. / Alteraciones neuropsicológicas en drogodependientes infectados por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana.

The early organic mental disorder, caused by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) in the drug dependents (DD), if it is not taken into account, can disturb the diagnosis of the neuropsychiatric and the toxic disorders. The authors attempt to outline, with several neuropsychological tests (visuo-perceptual, memory, attention) and with the physical and neurologic exploration, if cognitive abnormalities are present in two groups of DD after detoxification period. The first group is infected by the HIV (n: 48), and the second one is not (n: 33). Differences can be found only in the Bender visuo-perceptual test, which are not justified by the divergences found between the groups about the drug dependence history and the present drug of abuse intake. The importance of the early diagnosis of these abnormalities is argued in order to get a suitable treatment of the possible neuropsychiatric complications in the DD development, and restrain the extent of the cognitive damage by HIV infection.