Prevalence and Risk Factors for Significant Liver Fibrosis in Patients with HIV Infection

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the present study was the evaluation of liver fibrosis in a population of patients monoinfected with HIV using the transient liver elastography (FibroScan) method.

Patients and methods: A total of 228 consecutive patients with HIV were evaluated: 80 (35.09%) were HIV-1 monoinfected and 148 (64.91%) (HIV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infected. Echoic liver diagnosis was also performed.

Results: F2 Metavir-score fibrosis or higher was found to be associated with drug addiction, alanine aminotransferase >80 UI/l, cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4(+)) T lymphocytes nadir <200 copies/ml, therapy duration, protease inhibitor (PI)-based antiretroviral regimen, HCV infection and AIDS diagnosis. Multivariate analysis highlighted a significant association with drug addiction, AIDS diagnosis, therapy duration and HCV co-infection. Echoic liver diagnosis showed signs of damage among 43.75% of monoinfected patients vs. 62.84% among co-infected.

Conclusion: Monoinfected patients showed pathological signs both at liver ultrasonography and at FibroScan. In the onset of these changes, a significant role by HIV disease and duration of therapy is observed.

Keywords: FibroScan; HCV; HIV; antiretroviral therapy; monoinfected patients.