TY - JOUR
T1 - Treatment of hepatitis C and anemia in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients
AU - Dieterich, Douglas T.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Because of shared modes of transmission, co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) is common. Co-infection with HIV increases HCV virus load, liver-related mortality, and the risk of sexual and perinatal transmission of HCV, and it may accelerate HCV disease progression. With combination interferon (IFN)-α2b/ribavirin or pegylated IFN-α2b/ribavirin therapy, long-term remission is possible for HCV-infected patients. Preliminary evidence suggests that the combination of IFN-α2b/ribavirin can achieve similar response rates in HCV/HIV-co-infected individuals with no adverse effect on HIV RNA concentrations. Although adverse effects are more frequent with combination therapy than with IFN-α monotherapy, most are manageable. In addition, few instances of drug-drug antagonism have been reported among drugs used to treat each disease, although further study is necessary. Ribavirin-associated hemolytic anemia is a potential problem in a patient population that is already susceptible to anemia but is manageable with recombinant human erythropoietin (epoetin alfa).
AB - Because of shared modes of transmission, co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) is common. Co-infection with HIV increases HCV virus load, liver-related mortality, and the risk of sexual and perinatal transmission of HCV, and it may accelerate HCV disease progression. With combination interferon (IFN)-α2b/ribavirin or pegylated IFN-α2b/ribavirin therapy, long-term remission is possible for HCV-infected patients. Preliminary evidence suggests that the combination of IFN-α2b/ribavirin can achieve similar response rates in HCV/HIV-co-infected individuals with no adverse effect on HIV RNA concentrations. Although adverse effects are more frequent with combination therapy than with IFN-α monotherapy, most are manageable. In addition, few instances of drug-drug antagonism have been reported among drugs used to treat each disease, although further study is necessary. Ribavirin-associated hemolytic anemia is a potential problem in a patient population that is already susceptible to anemia but is manageable with recombinant human erythropoietin (epoetin alfa).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036252557&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/340199
DO - 10.1086/340199
M3 - Article
C2 - 12001034
AN - SCOPUS:0036252557
SN - 0022-1899
VL - 185
SP - S128-S137
JO - Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - Journal of Infectious Diseases
IS - SUPPL. 2
ER -