Considerable under-treatment of chronic HCV infection in HIV patients despite acceptable sustained virological response rates in a real-life setting.

Background: According to guidelines, treatment of HCV infection should be considered a priority in HIV-HCV-coinfected patients.

Methods: This multicentre study includes HIV-HCV-coinfected patients diagnosed since 2001 in 14 participating centres in Austria and Germany. Demographic and virological data were recorded.

Improved lipid profiles and maintenance of virologic control in heavily pretreated HIV-infected patients who switched from stavudine to tenofovir treatment.

A retrospective chart analysis of 66 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients whose treatment was switched from stavudine to tenofovir without any other treatment changes was conducted. The mean total cholesterol values decreased significantly within 3 months after the tenofovir substitution and remained significantly less than baseline values during 18 months of follow-up (mean decrease, 36 mg/dL; P = .002).

Pegylated interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in HIV-coinfected patients.

Objectives: HIV-coinfection accelerates the course of HCV-related liver disease. Since, highly active anti-retroviral therapy significantly improved survival of HIV-patients more coinfected patients develop end stage liver disease. Therefore, treatment options for chronic hepatitis C in HIV-coinfected patients need to be evaluated.

Successful therapy of hepatitis B with tenofovir in HIV-infected patients failing previous adefovir and lamivudine treatment.

Three HIV-infected patients with chronic hepatitis B (genotype A) were switched to adefovir therapy after unsuccessful lamivudine treatment. Surprisingly, adefovir therapy failed, although none of the virus isolates displayed mutations known to be associated with adefovir resistance (A181V, N236T). In two isolates we identified hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase mutation L217R, in one case we found multiple frameshifts in the same region.

Effects of interleukin-2 plus highly active antiretroviral therapy on HIV-1 replication and proviral DNA (COSMIC trial).

Background: The effect of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in combination with antiretroviral therapy on HIV-1 replication and reservoirs was investigated.

Methods: In a prospective, open-label trial, 56 asymptomatic HIV-1-infected subjects (CD4 T cell count > 350 x 10(6) cells/l) were randomized to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART: stavudine, lamivudine, nelfinavir, saquinavir) with or without IL-2 (9 megaunits daily for 5 days in 6-weekly intervals for a total of eight cycles). Productive and latent infection were analysed in peripheral blood, and residual virus replication in the lymphoid tissue and in the cerebrospinal fluid.