BOUT ONE THIRD OF HUMAN IMmunodeficiency virus (HIV)infected patients in Europe and the United States are also infected by hepatitis C virus (HCV) while 5% to 10% of HCV-infected patients are also infected by HIV. 1,2 Human immunodeficiency virus coinfection accelerates the progression of HCV infection, which is now a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among HIVinfected individuals. 3-7 The treatment of chronic HCV infection was transformed in the 1990s by the advent of the interferonribavirin combination and was further improved with the use of pegylated interferon (peginterferon), in which a polyethylene glycol molecule is added to standard interferon, yielding a longer For editorial comment see p 2909.

Programme Hospitalier Recherche Clinique, Institut Pasteur, Inserm, French Public Health Agency.

Noninferiority of the 4-month regimen to the standard regimen with respect to the primary efficacy end point was not shown. (Funded by the Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00216385.).

No abstract

In the post-HAART era, ESLD due to HCV is a growing cause of mortality in HIV-infected patients. Increased longevity attributable to HAART, and a higher prevalence of alcohol consumption, are probably involved in this trend.