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Hépato-Gastro & Oncologie Digestive

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Natural history of hepatitis C in patients infected with HIV Volume 15, issue 6, Novembre-Décembre 2008

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Authors
Inserm U-567, unité d’hépatologie, université René-Descartes–Paris-V, AP–HP, hôpital Cochin, Paris, France

Almost 30% of HIV infected patients are also co-infected by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). In studies conducted in the pre-highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era, the impact of HCV infection on mortality was low because extra-hepatic diseases related to severe immune deficiency were the main causes of deaths. In the era of HAART, the morbidity and mortality of patients decreased and this clear benefit allowed the expression of liver-related complications associated with HCV infection. Liver diseases are currently one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in co-infected patients. By contrast, HAART may decrease the severity of liver disease and efficient antiviral C therapy may stop the course of the liver disease, like in HCV mono-infected patients.