Acute hepatitis C virus infection and direct-acting antiviral drugs: Perfect combination to eliminate the epidemic?

Abstract

Early diagnosis and treatment of incident cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is fundamental to eliminate HCV in HIV-positive patients. From January 2016 to December 2019, we attended 40 episodes of acute HCV infection (AHC) in 35 subjects (9 reinfections) who were coinfected with HIV. The patients were treated with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) in seven hospitals in Andalusia, Spain. All were men who have sex with men (MSM), mean age was 42.9 (±8.3) years and median time of HIV infection was 46.6 months (IQR: 20.4-67.2). All received antiretroviral therapy and had undetectable HIV viral load (except 2 with 65 and 68 copies/mL); median CD4 count was 632 cells/mm³ (IQR: 553-896). Over half (74.3%) also had another concomitant sexually transmitted infection, syphilis (48.6%) being the most common. AHC was asymptomatic in 32 cases (80%). Genotypic distribution was G1a 65%, G4 32.5% and G1b 3%. Median time to DAA was 6 weeks (IQR: 4.3-18.3) and median baseline HCV RNA was 6.1 Log (IQR: 5.6-6.5). DAA regimens were SOF/LDV (19 episodes), SOF/VEL (14), ELB/GZV (5) and GLP/PIB (2). All presented sustained viral response and none discontinued due to adverse effects. In conclusion, early treatment with DAA in AHC patients proved effective and safe. It could be an excellent strategy to eliminate HCV infection in HIV-coinfected MSM.

Keywords: Antiviral; HIV; MSM; hepatitis C; sexual behaviour.