LIVER FIBROSIS IN COMBINED COURSE OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS C AND HIV INFECTION

The urgency of the problem connected with HIV infection and parenteral forms of viral hepatitis largely stems from common epidemiological, social and economic indices. HIV infection accelerates progression of liver disease associated with HCV infection, especially in patients with more severe immunodeficiency. The aim of the study was to compare results of liver elastometry in patients co-infected with HIV/CHC and those monoinfected with CHC. Verification of the diagnosis was carried out on the basis of clinical-anamnestic data, by taking into account the epidemiological history of patients and confirming the results of enzyme immunoassay with the definition of markers of hepatitis C in paired sera and polymerase chain reaction with the detection of RNA virus in blood plasma. The degree of liver fibrosis was measured on a scale of METAVIR by means of FibroScan apparatus. The article presents the results of the comparative assessment of liver fibrosis in patients co-infected with HIV/CHC and those monoinfected with CHC. It suggests that patients co-infected with HIV/CHC are at a higher risk of severe fibrosis and cirrhosis.