Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitors have no effect on hepatitis C virus (HCV) serum levels of HIV-HCV co-infected patients

Ten severely immunocompromised HIV HCV co-infected patients were enrolled i n a quantifiable HCV-RNA assay. Serum alanine aminotransferase, HCV-RNA lev els and HIV viral loads were determined at baseline, at month three and at month si?r after initiation of a highly active antiretroviral therapy inclu ding an HIV protease inhibitor. HCV genotypes were determined using a line probe assay kit. Out results suggested that this therapy did not result in lower HCV viraemia, whatever the HCV genotypes. and probably had no effect on the outcome of chronic viral hepatitis C. As our patients were severely immunocompromised and their mean increase of CD4 cell counts was less than 50/mm(3), we cannot reach any conclusions about the impact of the improveme nt of immune status on the HCV-RNA load. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.