Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in the HIV- Infected Patients by Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin in Tehran, Iran

Background and Objectives: Considering reductions in AIDS-related mortalities following effective anti-retroviral treatments in HIV/AIDS patients, HCV-associated liver diseases have turned into a major concern for HIV/HCV co-infected patients. The present study aims at determining SVR rates in HIV/HCV co-infected patients under pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment referring to Tehran Imam Khomeini hospital during ۲۰۱۰ - ۲۰۱۳. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, all HIV/HCV co-infected patients under pegilated interferon and ribavirin treatment referring to Tehran Imam Khomeini Hospital during ۲۰۱۰ - ۲۰۱۳ entered the study. The variables include demographic information, genotype, liver involvement stage in biopsy, viral load levels prior to treatment, ۴th, ۱۲th, and ۴۸th week as well as ۶ months after treatment (sustained virologic response (SVR)), and CD۴ count every ۳ months. Results: In the total of ۲۸ male HIV/HCV co-infected patients of this study, ۲۱.۴% and ۷۸.۶% received peg IFN alfa- ۲b, and pegIFN alfa۲a, respectively. There were ۱۷ genotype I (۶۱%), ۹ (۳۲%) genotype III, and ۲ (۷%) genotype II among the patients. The overall SVR rate of the patients was ۶۷.۸%; it was ۵۲.۹% in genotype I and ۷۲.۷% in genotypes II and III. Despite the CD۴ count decline during treatment, opportunistic infections were not observed in any of the patients. Conclusions: SVR rates in this study are higher than studies conducted in other countries and this implies the possibility of a more favorable genetic trait in Iranian HCV patients responding to pegIFN and ribavirin. That is still the proper regimen due to high price of free interferon regimens in Iran.