Combined treatment with interferon alpha (IFN-α) and ribavirin (RBV) can effectively cure HCV infection in a significant proportion of patients, but effects of this regimen on cellular reservoirs for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are unknown. Here, we show that treatment with IFN-α/RBV led to a moderate but significant and sustained decline of HIV-1 DNA in CD4 T cells from HIV-1/hepatitis C virus-coinfected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (n = 12). However, in vitro experiments failed to demonstrate an effect of pharmacological doses of IFN-α on HIV-1 reactivation. Together, these data suggest that treatment with IFN-α/RBV can moderately reduce the reservoir of HIV-1-infected CD4 T cells that persists despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy.
Keywords: HIV-1 reservoir; HIV-1/HCV coinfection; interferon-α; ribavirin.