OBJECTIVETo understand the influence of HIV infection on hepatitis C progress in patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) and related immune mechanism.

METHODSTwenty eight patients co-infected with HIV/HCV and 12 patients with simplex HCV infection were enrolled. The liver function and hepatic fibrosis progress were evaluated by detecting peripheral blood and with Fibro-Scan. The viral load of HCV was detected by using real time quantitative PCR. And the percentage of Treg/CD4⁺ T lymphocyte cell was tested by using flow cytometry.

RESULTSThe levels of ALT and ALP in HIV/HCV co-infection group were (76.16 ± 81.248) U/L, (24.507 1 ± 8.194) g/L respectively, higher than those of simplex HCV infection group [(27.475 0 ± 13.985) U/L, (16.966 7 ± 7.189) g/L], the differences were statistical significant. P value was 0.012 and 0.009 respectively. The liver fibrosis index in HIV/HCV co-infection group was 5.950 0-5.825 0 Kpa, higher than that in simplex HIV infection group (5.150 0-1.050 0 Kpa), and the difference was nearly statistical significant (P = 0.077). The HCV viral load in HIV/HCV co-infection group was (6.476 8-5.343 4) lg copy/ml, higher than that in simplex HCV infection group [(1.699 0-2.681 5) lg copy/ml], and the rate of HCV clearance in HIV/HCV co-infection group was 32.14%, lower than that in simplex HCV infection group (75.00%). P value was 0.012 and 0.032 respectively. The percentage of Treg/CD4⁺ T lymphocyte cell in HIV/HCV co-infection group was (7.460 0%-2.287 5%), higher than that in simplex HCV infection group (5.965 0%-2.105 0%), and the difference was significant (P = 0.032). The percentage of Treg/CD4⁺ T lymphocyte cell was significantly related with HCV viral load (ρ = 0.350, P = 0.027), and HCV viral load was significantly related with the liver fibrosis index (ρ = 0.487, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONHIV infection could accelerate the progress of hepatitis C, and Treg cells were involved in this progress.