Response to Pegylated Interferon Plus Ribavirin Among HIV/Hepatitis C Virus–Coinfected Patients With Compensated Liver Cirrhosis

Background. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)–related compensated liver cirrhosis, as well as the predictors of response in these individuals. Methods. All subjects enrolled in a prospective cohort of 841 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients who received peg-IFN and RBV and who had a liver biopsy or a liver stiffness measurement within the year before starting pegIFN plus RBV were included in this study. The sustained virologic response (SVR) rate and predictors of SVR response were analyzed. Results. A total of 629 patients were included in this study; 175 (28%) had cirrhosis. In an intention-to-treat analysis, 44 (25%) patients with cirrhosis and 177 (39%) without cirrhosis achieved SVR (P= .001). Among patients with cirrhosis, SVR was observed in 14%, 47%, and 30% of individuals with HCV genotypes 1, 2–3, and 4, respectively. Discontinuation of therapy owing to adverse events was observed in 30 (17%) individuals with cirrhosis and 37 (8%) subjects without cirrhosis (P= .001). Conclusions. The efficacy of peg-IFN plus RBV among HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with cirrhosis is lower than in those without cirrhosis, although this antiviral combination still leads to a substantial rate of SVR in those carrying HCV genotype 3. A higher rate of discontinuations of HCV therapy due to adverse events among cirrhotic patients could partially explain the differences in the SVR rate between both populations.