Effect of mono/dual antiretroviral therapy on suppression of HCV and HIV during treatment of HCV infection in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients

Abstract

Objective: Data of hepatitis C treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in HIV infected patients are limited to a few number of antiretroviral therapies (ART). The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of non-conventional ART as monotherapy or dual therapy (MDT) when combined with DAA.

Methods: Retrospective review of HIV/HCV-coinfected patients treated with DAAs during one year in 3 centers. Sustained virologic response 12 weeks after therapy (SVR) and maintenance of HIV viral suppression were compared between patients receiving triple ART (TT) or MDT.

Results: Overall 485 patients were included (359 receiving TT and 126 MDT). HCV SVR was 93.4% (95%CI, 90.8% to 95.3%) in the intention-to-treat analysis without differences between groups: 92.8% on TT vs 95.2% on MDT (p=0.3). HCV virological failure was associated with lower CD4+cell count at baseline (for every 100-cell/μl increment: OR, 0.8; 95%CI, 0.7-0.9; p=0.01) and with liver stiffness (for every 10-unit increment: OR, 1.5; 95%CI 1.2-1.8; p<0.01). HIV-RNA during HCV treatment or 12 weeks after was detectable in 23 patients on TT (6.6%) and 9 (7.2%) patients on MDT (p=0.8). The median (IQR) change in CD4+cell count was not significantly different between the groups: 15 (-55 to 115) in TT vs -12 (-68 to 133) cells/μl in MDT (p=0.8).

Conclusion: DAAs obtain high rates of SVR among HIV/HCV-coinfected patients independently of whether TT or non-conventional ART is used. Suppression of HIV was maintained in both groups.

Keywords: Antivirales de acción directa; Direct acting antivirals; Dual therapy; HEPATITIS C; HIV; Hepatitis C; Monoterapia; Monotherapy; Terapia dual; VIH.