Triple Threat

Although rare, triple coinfection with HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus is particularly dangerous, even when antiretroviral drugs keep HIV in check, Dutch researchers reported at the 44th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver. A median six-year follow-up study of more than 11,100 HIVers -- 112 of whom were HIV-HBV-HCV coinfected -- found that triple infection dramatically raised the risk of death when compared to those infected solely with HIV. HIV-HCV coinfection also boosted death risk, though not as high as triple infection, according to the analysis; HBV-HIV coinfection alone was not associated with increased mortality. "Although [antiretroviral therapy] increased the life expectancy in HIV-infected patients, those with a chronic triple infection ' as well as HCV-HIV coinfected patients still have an increased mortality risk," the researchers concluded. They recommend that HCV treatment be a priority for coinfected or triple-infected HIVers.