Immunopathogenesis of HIV/Hepatitis C Virus Coinfection

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Abstract

As a result of shared infection routes, approximately 25% of individuals infected with HIV in North America are also infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the setting of HIV coinfection, the course of HCV disease is more aggressive, resulting in higher HCV viral loads and a more rapid progression of liver pathology. With the success of HAART, HCV-related end-stage liver disease has become a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients. In this article, we will discuss recent studies examining the immune response during HIV and HCV coinfection, focusing on alterations or dysfunctions in virus-specific T-cell responses that may play a role in the immunopathogenesis of HIV/HCV coinfection. Summarizing the impact of HIV coinfection on HCV-specific T-cell immunity and highlighting some of the proposed mechanisms of T-cell dysfunction in HIV/HCV-coinfected individuals may uncover information that could lead to new treatment strategies for these patients experiencing accelerated liver disease and generally poorer outcomes than their HCV-monoinfected counterparts.

Related Papers

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• [A study of the progression of cirrhosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus coinfection].(2005)