[Chronic hepatitis C treatment with pegilated interferon alpha2a and ribavirin in patients with HIV-infection]

To study efficacy and safety of combined therapy of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with pegilated interferon-alpha2a in combination with ribavirin at early stages of CHC and HIV-infection untreated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

An open, nonrandomized, retrospective and prospective trial included 50 patients with subclinical HIV infection (stage 3; n = 47) and the stage of secondary diseases 4A at a remission phase untreated with HAART. The patients were given pegilated interferon-alpha2a and ribavirin for 48 weeks.

The above combined treatment was highly effective, comparable to the results achieved in CHC patients without HIV infection. Tolerance was satisfactory. Most frequent side effects were thrombocytopenia, leukopenia and neutropenia. These were not the cause of the patients withdrawal (n = 9; 18%). The treatment was discontinued because of depression and long-term fever. A significant reduction of CD4+ lymphocytes count was observed but clinical manifestations of HIV-infection progress were not reported.

CHC treatment in HIV-infected patients should be started as early as possible after diagnosis of chronic hepatitis, before symptoms of cirrhosis. In this case probability of achievement of a stable virusological response in CHC patients with HIV-infection is similar to that in CHC patients without HIV infection.