Baseline factors prognostic of sustained virological response in patients with HIV-hepatitis C virus co-infection

Abstract

Objective: To identify baseline characteristics predictive of a sustained virological response (SVR) in patients with HIV-hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection treated with interferon-based therapy.

Design/methods: A stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis was used to explore the prognostic factors associated with SVR [undetectable HCV-RNA (< 50 IU/ml) at the end of untreated follow-up in week 72].

Results: In all patients (n = 853), in addition to the HCV therapy received, the factors most predictive of SVR were baseline HCV-RNA [< or = versus > 400 000 IU/ml; odds ratio (OR) 4.77; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.15-7.22; P < 0.0001] and HCV genotype (OR 2.87; 95% CI 2.00-4.12; P < 0.0001). HIV treatment (with a protease inhibitor or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor; P = 0.034), race (P = 0.027), and body mass index (P = 0.039) were also weak predictors of HCV treatment response.

Conclusions: In the AIDS PEGASYS Ribavirin International Co-infection Trial (APRICOT), the predictors of SVR among HIV-HCV co-infected patients treated with peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin were similar to those in patients with HCV mono-infection. The HCV genotype and pretreatment HCV-RNA level had the greatest influence on SVR.