my personal edition > hepatitis c > news


  E-Mail this DGDispatch to a colleague

DGDispatch

Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a and Ribavirin Effective in HIV-Positive Patients With Acute Hepatitis C: Presented at IAS

By Rachel Parratt

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- July 23, 2007 -- At the end of 24 weeks of treatment with pegylated interferon alfa-2a (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV), 89% of HIV-positive patients with acute hepatitis C achieved viral load <50 copies/mL, researchers reported here at the 4th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention.

This highly effective response rate was achieved despite a high proportion of patients with the GT1 genotype, in whom treatment for chronic HCV is less than 30% successful, the researchers noted.

The study enrolled 124 patients with acute hepatitis C as part of the Australian Trial in Acute Hepatitis C (ATAHC). ATAHC, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is a prospective cohort study following HCV outcomes in both HIV-negative and -positive individuals in 19 centers around Australia.

HIV-positive patients with acute hepatitis C are less likely to clear HCV spontaneously. Once chronic HCV is established these individuals have poorer treatment outcomes and higher risk of liver disease progression compared with individuals who are only infected with HCV.

In their study, Gail Matthews, MBChB, MRCP, Lecturer, Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, and colleagues administered PEG/RBV for 24 weeks in 18 of the 27 HIV-positive patients coinfected with HCV.

These patients were HCV antibody positive within 6 months of being recruited, and had either a negative HCV antibody test with 2 years of being tested positive, or an episode of hepatitis. Baseline risk factors for acquiring HCV included known HCV-positive status of partner for six patients, unknown partner status for five patients, and injecting drug use in seven patients.

By week 4, a negative result for HCV RNA using a quantitative assay was observed in 93% of patients, and a rapid virologic response (<50 c/mL) was achieved in 56% of patients.

At the end of treatment, 89% of patients had an HCV viral load <50 c/mL. Overall, the sustained virologic response rate, defined as negative HCV RNA, was 72%. Dose reduction was only performed in one patient and 78% of patients received more than 80% of injections.

The authors concluded, "Treatment for [acute hepatitis C] in HIV-positive patients is safe and highly effective."

[Presentation title: Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a (PEG-IFN) + Ribavirin (RBV) in HIV Infected Individuals Within the Australian Trial of Acute Hepatitis C (ATAHC) Achieves End of Treatment Response (ETR) in Over 80% of Individuals. Poster MOPEB045]

E-Mail this DGDispatch to a colleague

To print, use this version