Influence of Hepatitis C virus coinfection on immune reconstitution in HIV subjects

In this study, we investigated the presence of immune activation in a cohort of 50 HIV/HCV patients by measuring cytokine levels, CD4+ T-cell counts and CD4/CD8 ratios. Six patient groups were defined according to HIV viral load, HCV status, and liver disease to assess the impact of each of these factors on immune activation and reconstitution in HIV/HCV patients. Only subjects with controlled HIV infection and cleared HCV displayed immunological parameters within normal ranges. The mere presence of HCV contributes to immune activation leading to an inappropriate immunological reconstitution. This state exacerbates in the presence of HCV-associated liver disease. Our results suggest that ART is not enough to suppress immune activation in the context of HIV/HCV coinfection, since both HCV and its liver-related disease would contribute to the immune activation. Given that immune activation worsens immunological reconstitution and clinical status, these results support the priority of HCV treatment in HIV/HCV patients and suggest the monitoring of their liver status.
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - Category: Microbiology Source Type: research