1 HIV Clinical Unit, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 2 Hepatology and Gastroenterology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Abstract |
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Keywords: HCV kinetics , early virological response , peg-IFN efficacy
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Introduction |
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Background |
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Viral kinetics as a tool to predict response to antiviral therapy in HCV/HIV-coinfected patients |
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This is not the case of the positive predictive value (PPV) of EVR at week 12. The outcome of the combination therapy with peg-IFN and RBV is highly dependent on the rapidity of virological response.13
In HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, we have shown that those patients who become HCV RNA-negative during the first 4 weeks of treatment have the greatest chance of achieving SVR (PPV=100% at 24 h, weeks 1 and 4, but dropped to 58.3% at week 12).11
The PPV reported in the APRICOT study was 56% for peg-IFN -2a (180 µg/week) plus ribavirin (800 mg/day) at week 12 by using the definition of EVR, but there are no PPV data of EVR at week 4.3
No information is currently available on whether a more restrictive criteria, such as a negative HCV qualitative test (<50 IU/mL) at week 12, may be a more reliable predictor of SVR than an HCV viral decay of
2 log10, which may not be enough to guarantee a lack of relapse after peg-IFN and RBV interruption.
Taking into account the low SVR rates reported for difficult-to-treat genotypes 1 and 4 (29% of individuals harbouring HCV genotype 1 in the APRICOT study achieved SVR)3 in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, we suggest that these patients may be a subset of the population who would benefit from assaying different HCV therapeutic approaches such as induction or extending schedules. The understanding of HCV kinetics under peg-IFN plus RBV therapy may help design reasonable clinical trials.
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Implications of HCV dynamics in HIV patients for new treatment strategies |
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Few HCV kinetic studies have been performed in the setting of HCV/HIV coinfection under peg-IFN plus ribavirin.911
Different groups have reported a slower first phase of HCV decay (which sometimes is even absent) in HIV patients harbouring HCV genotype 1 by using IFN-10
and peg-IFN
-2a plus RBV.9
The low effectiveness of IFN-based therapies in this first phase of HCV kinetics may be attributed to higher HCV viraemias compared with monoinfected HCV patients, and to the burden of simultaneously having to clear both HIV and HCV. The estimated virion half-life is longer (6.7 h) in HCV/HIV subjects than in monoinfected HCV patients (23 h).9,10
The same studies described a steeper second phase of HCV RNA decline. The viral dynamics of HCV genotype 4, an increasingly prevalent genotype in the HIV population of Southern Europe, seem similar to that of genotype 1.18
HIV-induced blunting of HCV-specific immune responses may be responsible for the higher turnover rate of HCV typically seen in HIV coinfection and may also result in a rapid generation of viral diversity (quasi-species), thus leading to viral escape from the host immune surveillance and from anti-HCV therapy. The slower second phase may reflect a suboptimal clearance of HCV-infected cells by anti-HCV treatment, which may explain the reported increased number of breakthroughs and relapses.5
The rationale for induction strategies is based on the association of early viral kinetics during the first weeks with the probability of achieving SVR. With IFN induction schedules, the improvement in viral kinetics during the initial weeks is supported by the finding that the first-phase slope is dose-related19,20
and by the possibility that maintaining a high drug pressure during the second-phase slope may overcome HCV resistance. Layden et al.21
predicted lack of response if of IFN did not reduce HCV viral loads below a threshold at 24 h, and reported that the first phase of viral parameters significantly affected the decay rate during the second phase. Our group also reported that the difference in HCV viral decline between HIV/HCV-coinfected patients who achieved SVR to peg-IFN
-2b plus a fixed dose of RBV and those who did not achieve SVR was already seen at 24 h after the first dose and was maintained throughout the 4 initial weeks of HCV therapy.11
Although the improvement in SVR rates with IFN induction strategies is controversial, the prevalence of difficult-to-treat genotypes 1 and 4, and their higher HCV viraemias in HIV patients may justify these strategies. Ferenci et al.22
reported a better outcome of HCV RNA eradication for monoinfected HCV patients harbouring genotype 1 with the use of higher daily doses of IFN-
. Nevertheless, induction approaches need a close monitoring of tolerance and adverse events, since the possible improvement of virological efficacy must be balanced with an increased number of discontinuations. In a pilot study including HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, Rockstroh et al.23
attributed the lack of therapeutic benefit of a high initial daily dose of IFN-
to poor tolerability. However, taking into account the safety profile of new peg-IFN formulations, it may be interesting to assess the benefits of higher induction doses of peg-IFN in HIV populations with high viral loads (>500 000 IU/mL) of HCV genotypes 1 or 4.
The different pharmacokinetic properties of the two commercially available formulations [peg-IFN -2b (Pegintron; Schering-Plough) and peg-IFN
-2a (PEGASSYS; Roche)] are also important in the design of new strategies [absorption half-lives
4.6 and 50 h, respectively; terminal elimination half-lives (t1/2)
40 and 80 h, respectively].24
Therefore, a twice-weekly administration should be considered for peg-IFN
-2b to avoid suboptimal serum concentrations before the 1 week dosing interval.25
The rationale for longer treatment strategies is supported by the slower HCV dynamics that may explain the high relapse rates reported in HIV-infected patients.5
We analysed the changes in HCV viral load during the first 12 weeks of peg-IFN -2b therapy in five out of 21 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients who achieved EVR but not SVR (transient responders). We observed that a decay of more than 2 log10 in those transient responders was only achieved at 12 weeks of therapy instead of at 4 weeks, as was the case in patients who achieved both EVR and SVR.11
It is not known whether extending therapy in this subgroup of patients may increase the chances of achieving a SVR. Few publications have dealt with this objective even in monoinfected HCV patients. Buti et al.26
reported successful results of nine monoinfected HCV late responders treated with extended therapy of a peg-IFN
-2b plus RBV combination. In the coinfected HCV/HCV population, previous studies found a high rate of relapse in HCV genotype 3 patients treated for 24 weeks with peg-IFN
-2b plus RBV (35%), leading the authors to suggest a longer course of HCV therapy.5
The highest rate of end treatment response (ETR) (64%) with a maintained SVR (62%) in HCV genotype 3 reported in the APRICOT study3
supports extending HCV therapy from 24 to 48 weeks in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, although the proper duration of HCV therapy in these patients needs to be confirmed in large-scale, well-designed, randomized clinical trials.
In HIV patients, a defective immune system may explain the lack of HCV kinetic efficacy during the second and third phases. The modulation of host factors related to cellular immunity may be required for treatment efficacy and HCV viral clearance. Immunological studies observed that T cell responses may take many months to emerge and peak after the onset of treatment, despite the fact that HCV RNA levels become undetectable,27
hence justifying longer treatment strategies. Interferons are natural mediators of host defence and their possible antifibrotic effect is claimed as an additional reason for extending therapies.28
Moreover, RBV is considered to be responsible for the recently described third phase of viral decay (M) by enhancing HCV-specific T helper 1 immune responses.7
Thus, insufficient RBV dosages (800 mg/day) usually used in trials in HCV/HIV patients may also be involved in breakthroughs or relapses after HCV therapy, and higher doses of RBV (10001200 mg/day) should be tested.
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Conclusions |
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References |
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