Background/aims: The incidence of hepatitis C infection is increased in subjects with human immunodeficiency virus infection, although the relative frequency of hepatitis b infection is higher than that hepatitis c. The present study assessed the effect of IFN-a on chronic hepatitis C in HIV infected patients.
Material and methods: Twenty patients with chronic hepatitis C, nine positive for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus and eleven HIV-seronegative, were treated with interferon a-2b.
Results: Five HIV-positive patients responded to therapy with a complete (three) or partial (two) remission of hepatitis at the end of treatment. A sustained response was achieved in four patients. From the HIV-negative patients eight responded with a complete (six) or partial (two) remission. The response was sustained in six patients. Hepatitis C virus-RNA became at least temporarily undetectable in three HIV-positive and six HIV-negative patients. No severe toxicity of interferon treatment was seen in either the HIV-positive or the HIV-negative patients.
Conclusion: The present results indicate that interferon treatment of chronic hepatitis C in HIV-positive patients is successful in a considerable number of individuals. However it might be inferior to the results in HIV-negative patients.