IP-10 predicts the first phase decline of HCV RNA and overall viral response to therapy in patients co-infected with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and HIV

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of baseline plasma interferon-gamma inducible protein-10 (IP-10) levels in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infected patients. Baseline IP-10 was monitored during HCV combination therapy in 21 HIV–HCV co-infected patients (HCV genotype 1 (n = 16), 2 (n = 2), and 3 (n = 3)). Lower baseline IP-10 was significantly associated with a rapid decline in HCV RNA, in particular with the first phase reduction, and similar cut-off levels (<150 and >600 pg/ml) as in HCV mono-infected patients apply. In conclusion, baseline IP-10 <150 pg/ml is predictive of a favourable viral response to HCV therapy in HIV–HCV co-infected patients, and may thus be useful in encouraging such difficult-to-treat patients to initiate therapy.

Acknowledgement

We thank Dr Alex Lund Laursen, Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Dr Birgitte Moern, Department of Infectious Diseases, Aalborg University Hospital from the DICO study group, as well as study nurses Elisabeth Rilegård, Lene Rosenoern, Lene Pors Jensen and Iben R. Loftheim for patient care. Additionally we thank Marie-Louise Landelius, Pia Andersson and Anna-Louise Sørensen for technical assistance. Financial support was provided in the form of grants from the Swedish Society of Medicine, Hoffmann La Roche, Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish Research Council, Cancerfonden, the Torsten and Ragnar Söderberg Foundation, the Swedish International Development Agency, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, the Capio Research Foundation, and the Swedish Physicians Against AIDS Research Foundation.

Declaration of interest: We, the authors, do not have a commercial or other association that might pose a conflict of interest.