Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2b vs Standard Interferon Alfa-2b, Plus Ribavirin, for Chronic Hepatitis C in HIV-Infected Patients<SUBTITLE>A Randomized Controlled Trial</SUBTITLE>

Abstract

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.

OPERA : responses to peginterferon and ribavirin therapy in a subgroup of interferon‐naïve patients with HIV / HCV genotype 2/3 co‐infection in Italy

“…These results are consistent with other major published randomized trials of PEG‐IFN/RBV therapy in patients with HCV/HIC co‐infection: the SVR rate achieved with PEG‐IFN/RBV treatment in our study was similar to that reported in one other publication in 34 HIV/HCV genotype 2/3 patients (53% with PEG‐IFN alfa‐2b/RBV) and greater than that observed in another publication in 78 HIV/HCV genotype 2/3 patients (44% with PEG‐IFN alfa‐2b/RBV) , but lower than that reported by APRICOT (62% in 95 genotype 2/3 patients receiving 48 weeks' PEG‐IFN alfa‐2a/RBV) and two other published trials . In the 2012 study by Chung et al ., an SVR rate of 64% was achieved with PEG‐IFN alfa‐2a/RBV in 43 previously treated and treatment‐naïve patients with HCV genotype 2/3, and in 29 patients who achieved an EVR, the SVR rate was 79% .…”

Low Rates of Sustained Virologic Response with Peginterferon Plus Ribavirin for Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection in HIV Infected Patients in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…Baseline CD4+ lymphocyte count, HCV and HIV viral loads, previous treatment and liver fibrosis were not predictors of SVR, as opposed to data that have been reported from large multi-center trials or single center studies [10]–[12], [17]. The high CD4+lymphocytes counts (median 500 cells/mm3) and the low frequency of advanced fibrosis (23%) observed in this cohort may explain these conflicting results.…”

Effect of abacavir on sustained virologic response to HCV treatment in HIV/HCV co-infected patients, Cohere in Eurocoord

“…Our study found a significantly lower SVR in patients on a boosted PI regimens compared to those on an NNRTI-based regimen. This confirms previous reports of an association between a PI-based regimen and lower SVR rates [ 20 ]. Furthermore, Berenguer et al also found that patients on a boosted PI were less likely to achieve an SVR, although this result was statistically non-significant [ 9 ].…”