[Hepatitis C and HIV coinfection. Current aspects of therapy].

HIV/HCV coinfection is characterized by a progredient course of hepatitis C. A more rapid development to cirrhosis, and especially in the presence of progredient immunodeficiency, an increased mortality due to liver failure has been described in coinfected patients. In addition hepatitis C has an unfavorable impact on the progression of HIV. The worse course of hepatitis C in HIV-coinfected patients as well as the faster progression of HIV underline the need for development of treatment options for hepatitis C in HIV-coinfected patients. First results from trials looking at the effect of pegylated interferon and ribavirin for treatment of hepatitis C in HIV-coinfected patients found primary response rates of around 50% which were clearly better than the response rates observed under non-modified interferon/ribavirin therapy in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients so far.