Abstract

AMARAL, Ivanete do Socorro Abraçado et al. Coinfection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus (HIV-1/HCV): a case study in the Brazilian Amazon. Rev Pan-Amaz Saude [online]. 2010, vol.1, n.2, pp.137-142. ISSN 2176-6215.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5123/S2176-62232010000200017.

INTRODUCTION: Since highly active antiretroviral therapy was developed in 1996, liver injury has become an important cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals infected by the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1). OBJECTIVE: To report the demographic and laboratory findings of 62 patients coinfected with HIV-1/HCV. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed HIV patients, confirmed serologically by ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence or Western Blot, with positive anti-HCV by ELISA and confirmed by RT-PCR. These patiens were treated at the Liver Department of the Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará from August 2004 to April 2008. RESULTS: A total of 49 (79%) male and 13 female patients were analyzed. Their age median was 42.6 years and they were single (66.1%, n=41), heterosexual (59.7%, n = 37), bisexual (27.4%, n = 17), man who have sex with man MSM (12.9%, n = 8); the lymphocytes T CD4+ count median was 327 cells/mm³, HIV serum viral load median was 2.54 log₁₀ HIV RNA copies/mL, HCV viral load (RNA-HCV) was 5.9 log₁₀ UI/mL. The HCV genotype 1 was found in 60.87% of the patients. Forty-one (66.12%) patients were submitted to liver biopsies and the histopathology results according to METAVIR were F0 (12%), F1 (24.4%), F3 (17%), F4 (14.6%). CONCLUSION: Patients were predominantly single, with high viral load. They presented with moderate to severe fibrosis in more than 50% of cases without significant changes in their laboratory findings.

Keywords : HIV; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis C; Chronic; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Cross-Sectional Studies.

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