[Early virologic response value as predictive factor of sustained virologic response to treatment with interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients with or without HIV coinfection].

Background And Objective: The most effective currently available therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus infection is the combination of interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin both, in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection and in patients without coinfection. In an attempt to avoid morbidity and health costs we searched for an indicator of early virologic response (EVR). We evaluated the EVR efficiency at 4 and 12-weeks after the initiation of antiviral combination therapy.

[Chronic hepatitis C in HIV co-infected patients. Study of 55 cases with liver biopsy].

Background And Objective: To study the evolution of chronic hepatitis in HIV-HCV co-infected patients and the factors conditioning this evolution.

Patients And Method: 55 intravenous drug users with HIV-HCV co-infection were studied. We performed a clinical and laboratory study determining the age at the time of HCV infection and the date of liver biopsy, HIV stage, CD4 cell count, viral load, and time under antiretroviral treatment.