[The progression of liver fibrosis in prison inmates co-infected by HIV and HCV who started on boosted protease inhibitor therapy].

Objectives: To analyse the progression of liver fibrosis as measured by elastography and biochemical testing in prisoninmates co-infected by HIV and HCVwho started on ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (PI) therapy.

Methods: A prospective, observational and multi-centre study. The progression of liver fibrosis as measured by transient elastography (FibroScan) and biochemical testing was monitored for 48 weeks in a Spanish prison population co-infected with HIV and HCV.

Results: Of the 94 patients included, 54 (57.4%) were followed-up for 48 weeks. At week 48, no significant changes were seen in the grade of fibrosis measured using FibroScan (8.1 kPa vs. 8.3 kPa; p=0.20) or the Forns index (5.6 vs. 5.1; p= 0.50), although significant changes were detected using the APRI (0.7 vs. 0.6; p=0.05) and the FIB-4 indexes (p= 0.02).When measurement was done compared to baseline fibrosis, it was seen that therapy reduced the percentage of patients with fibrosis ≥3 but <4 (50% vs. 15%; p=0.001), but no change was seen in those found to have grade 4 fibrosis at baseline (20.4% vs. 20.4%).

Conclusion: The inmates co-infected with HIV and HCV who were started on antiretroviral therapy with the boosted protease inhibitor (PI) showed stasterilizationbilisation of the liver fibrosis as measured with FibroScan after one year of follow-up. Overall, the therapy improved fibrosis when measured using the APRI or FIB-4 indexes, but not when using the Forns index or elastography.