Cryoglobulinaemia vasculitis in patients coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus

Abstract

Objective: To describe mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC) vasculitis in patients coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV.

Design: Retrospective multicentre study through the GERMIVIC Database of 4005 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.

Methods: The characteristics and outcome of 11 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with MC vasculitis were analysed and compared with those of 118 HCV-infected patients with MC vasculitis.

Results: The mean age was 46 years (SD, 14), with 82% male. The median initial CD4 cell count was 367 cells/microl (range, 252-846). After a mean follow-up of 44.4 months, two deaths (18%) were noted. Clinical manifestations of MC included polyneuropathy in seven (64%), purpura in four (36%), arthralgia in four (36%), and kidney involvement in three (27%). Six patients received combination treatment with interferon-alfa and ribavirin, three of whom had sustained HCV virological response and were complete clinical responders. Four patients received corticosteroids and two showed a partial clinical response. Regardless of the HIV virological response, antiretroviral therapy did not improve MC vasculitis. Compared with patients with HCV monoinfection, coinfected patients were younger (P < 0.001), more frequently male (P = 0.03), more frequently intravenous drug users (P < 0.001), had higher HCV viraemia (P = 0.004), higher liver necroinflammation (P = 0.03), higher gammaglobulinaemia (P < 0.001) and lower cryoglobulin level (P = 0.03). The clinical manifestations of MC vasculitis did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Conclusion: There was a beneficial effect of anti-HCV therapy for HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with MC vasculitis.