1. Effect of antiretroviral therapy on liver-related mortality in patients with HIV and hepatitis C virus coinfection.
- Author
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Qurishi N, Kreuzberg C, Lüchters G, Effenberger W, Kupfer B, Sauerbruch T, Rockstroh JK, Spengler U, Qurishi, Nazifa, Kreuzberg, Christina, Lüchters, Guido, Effenberger, Wolfgang, Kupfer, Bernd, Sauerbruch, Tilman, Rockstroh, Jürgen K, and Spengler, Ulrich
- Abstract
Background: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has improved the prognosis of HIV infection. However, replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is not inhibited by HAART, and treatment-related hepatotoxicity is common. To clarify the effect of HAART in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, we studied liver-related mortality and overall mortality in 285 patients who were regularly treated during the period 1990-2002 at our department.Methods: Survival was analysed retrospectively by Kaplan-Meier and Cox's regression analyses after patients (81% haemophiliacs) had been stratified into three groups according to their antiretroviral therapy (HAART n=93, available after 1995; treatment exclusively with nucleoside analogues n=55, available after 1992; or no treatment, n=137).Findings: Liver-related mortality rates were 0.45, 0.69, and 1.70 per 100 person-years in the HAART, antiretroviral-treatment, and untreated groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis of liver-related mortality confirmed the significant survival benefit in patients with antiretroviral therapy (p=0.018), and regression analysis identified HAART (odds ratio 0.106 [95% CI 0.020-0.564]), antiretroviral treatment (0.283 [0.103-0.780]), CD4-positive T-cell count (0.746 [0.641-0.868] per 0.05x10(9) cells/L), serum cholinesterase (0.962 [0.938-0.986] per 100 U/L), and age (1.065 [1.027-1.105] per year) as independent predictors of liver-related survival. Severe drug-related hepatotoxicity was seen in five patients treated with nucleoside analogues alone and 13 treated with HAART. No patient died from drug-related hepatotoxicity.Interpretation: In addition to improved overall survival, antiretroviral therapy significantly reduced long-term liver-related mortality in our patients. This survival benefit seems to outweigh by far the associated risks of severe hepatotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2003
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