HIV and hepatitis C virus coinfection: bad bedfellows.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common in HIV-infected individuals and is responsible for increasing morbidity in these patients. HIV infection increases HCV replication and accelerates progression of HCV disease. HCV infection increases the risk of antiretroviral treatment. HCV genotype 1 is the predominant genotype in HCV/HIV-coinfected individuals living in the United States. State-of-the-art treatment with peginterferon alfa plus ribavirin results in lower sustained HCV virologic response rates in patients with genotype 1 infection than in those infected with other genotypes. Data from studies of HCV infection treatment in coinfected patients are discussed, as are prospects for future therapy. This article summarizes a presentation on HIV/HCV coinfection by Robert T. Schooley, MD, at the International AIDS Society-USA course in San Francisco in June 2005.