Hepatitis Does Not Hamper Therapy

Thai researchers report in the May edition of the journal AIDS that HIV-positive adults coinfected with hepatitis B or C are no less likely to achieve undetectable HIV viral loads or sustained CD4-cell increases than HIV patients not infected with hepatitis. After four weeks of antiretroviral treatment all of the patients in the study, regardless of being coinfected with HBV or HCV, posted similar reductions in HIV viral loads. Although CD4 counts climbed more slowly in HIV patients with hepatitis, at 48 weeks of therapy there was no difference in CD4 rebounds. 'Chronic viral hepatitis appears to have a limited impact on antiretroviral responses,' the researchers report. However, they caution that the risk of liver toxicities was increased threefold in HIV study subjects coinfected with HBV or HCV; therefore, they recommend the close monitoring of liver function in HIV-hepatitis coinfected patients.