Impact of interferon-ribavirin treatment on hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease quasispecies diversity in HIV- and HCV-coinfected patients.

Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection for whom prior treatment of HCV with interferon-ribavirin has failed may require subsequent treatment with new HCV protease inhibitors (PIs). We evaluated the diversity of HCV nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) in 26 HCV- and HIV-coinfected patients receiving stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) who were treated with interferon-ribavirin. Plasma HCV RNA clonal analysis was performed. There was greater baseline NS3 diversity in patients with nonresponse or relapse than in those with sustained virologic response. Interferon-ribavirin treatment did not result in significant changes in HCV protease gene diversity or significant HCV PI resistance mutations. The effect of prior interferon-ribavirin treatment on HCV NS3 will likely not impact HCV PI efficacy in HIV-coinfected patients receiving ART.