Eligibility for and outcome of hepatitis C treatment of HIV-coinfected individuals in clinical practice: the Swiss HIV cohort study

Zinkernagel, AS; von Wyl, V; Ledergerber, B; Rickenbach, M; Furrer, H; Battegay, M; Hirschel, B; Tarr, PE; Opravil, M; Bernasconi, E; Schmid, P; Weber, R; Swiss, HIV Cohort Study (2006). Eligibility for and outcome of hepatitis C treatment of HIV-coinfected individuals in clinical practice: the Swiss HIV cohort study. Antiviral therapy, 11(2), pp. 131-42. London: International Medical Press

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BACKGROUND: Morbidity and mortality of individuals co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) is often determined by the course of their HCV infection. Only a selected proportion of those in need of HCV treatment are studied in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We analysed the prevalence of HCV infection in a large cohort, the number of individuals requiring treatment, the eligibility for HCV treatment, and the outcome of the combination therapy with pegylated interferon-a and ribavirin in routine practice. METHODS: We analysed prescription patterns of HCV treatment and treatment outcomes among participants from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study with detectable hepatitis C viraemia (between January 2001 and October 2004). Efficacy was measured by the number of patients with undetectable HCV RNA at the end of therapy (EOTR) and at 6 months after treatment termination (SVR). Intention-to-continue-treatment principles were used. RESULTS: A total of 2150 of 7048 (30.5%) participants were coinfected with HCV; HCV RNA was detected in 60%, and not assessed in 26% of HCV-antibody-positive individuals. One hundred and sixty (12.5%) of HCV-RNA-positive patients started treatment. In patients infected with HCV genotypes 1/4 or 2/3, EOTR was achieved in 43.3% and 81.2% of patients, respectively, and SVR rates were 28.4% and 51.8%, respectively. More than 50% of the HCV-treated patients would have been excluded from two large published RCTs due to demographic, clinical and laboratory criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Despite clinical and psychosocial obstacles encountered in clinical practice, HCV treatment in HIV-coinfected individuals is feasible with results similar to those obtained in RCTs.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Haematology, Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Laboratory Medicine and Hospital Pharmacy (DOLS) > Clinic of Infectiology
UniBE Contributor:	Furrer, Hansjakob
ISSN:	1359-6535
ISBN:	16640094
Publisher:	International Medical Press
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 14:45
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:14
PubMed ID:	16640094
Web of Science ID:	000236640500001
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/18803 (FactScience: 1041)