Background: Chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is currently one of the most relevant coinfections in HIV positive patients. The influence of SEN Virus (SENV) on the outcome of HCV therapy in HIV/HCV coinfected patients who underwent combination therapy with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin is unclear.
Methods: SENV DNA was determined by polymerase chain reaction in 67 HIV/HCV coinfected patients, 77 HIV monoinfected patients, 95 treatment naive HCV monoinfetcted patients, and 122 healthy blood donors. Quantitative analysis was done for SENV H DNA.
Results: SENV DNA was detected in 8 of 67 (12%) HIV/HCV coinfected patients, in 9 of 77 (11.7%) HIV monoinfected patients, in 21 of 95 (22%) HCV monoinfected patients, and 12 of 122 (9.8%) healthy blood donors. HIV monoinfected patients showed the highest mean SENV H DNA level. The mean SENV H DNA was significantly lower in HIV/HCV coinfected patients compared to all other groups. The sustained virological response rates to combination therapy of HCV in HIV/HCV coinfected patients did not differ between patients with detectable SENV 5/8 (62.5%) and without SENV 28/59 (47.5%; p = 0.47). We found no significant difference in SENV H DNA pretreatment levels between nonresponders and responders to combination therapy (112 +/- 144 copies vs. 8 +/- 7 copies/ml; p = 0.27).
Conclusion: Coinfection with HCV may reduce SENV H replication in HIV positive patients and results in significantly lower SENV H DNA levels in HIV/HCV coinfected patients. SENV infection has no influence on the outcome of HCV combination therapy in HIV/HCV coinfected patients.