1. Hepatitis C therapy with interferon-α and ribavirin reduces the CD4 cell count and the total, 2LTR circular and integrated HIV-1 DNA in HIV/HCV co-infected patients
- Author
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Linghua Li, Yanqing Gao, Wenjia Weng, Weijun Zhu, Hao Wu, Hongjun Li, Quan-sheng Gao, Yanmei Jiao, and Wei-ping Cai
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Virus Integration ,Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ,HIV Infections ,medicine.disease_cause ,Virus Replication ,Antiviral Agents ,law.invention ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,law ,Virology ,Interferon α ,Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ,Ribavirin ,medicine ,Humans ,Cd4 cell count ,Polymerase chain reaction ,Pharmacology ,business.industry ,virus diseases ,Interferon-alpha ,Hepatitis C ,Hepatitis C, Chronic ,Middle Aged ,Viral Load ,medicine.disease ,Discontinuation ,CD4 Lymphocyte Count ,chemistry ,DNA, Viral ,HIV-1 ,Female ,DNA, Circular ,business ,DNA - Abstract
This study investigated whether treatment with IFN-α and ribavirin (RBV) reduces 2LTR circular HIV DNA in addition to the total and integrated HIV DNA. Two groups of patients were enrolled. Group 1 comprised HIV/HCV co-infected patients who were treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), IFN-α and RBV for 48 weeks. After the 48 weeks of treatment, IFN-α and RBV treatment was discontinued and HAART was continued. Group 2 comprised HIV-infected patients who were treated with HAART. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to quantify the levels of HIV-1 DNA. We found that compared with Group 2 patients, Group 1 patients exhibited an obvious decrease in the CD4 cell count and the total DNA, 2LTR circular DNA, and integrated HIV DNA after 48 weeks of treatment. After the discontinuation of IFN-α and RBV treatment in Group 1 patients, the levels of HIV DNA recovered. Therefore, we concluded that treatment with IFN-α and ribavirin (RBV) reduces 2LTR circular HIV DNA.
- Published
- 2014