ObjectiveTo investigate the influencing factors for hepatic hydrothorax （HH） before intervention for primary hepatic carcinoma （PHC）， and to construct and assess the nomogram risk prediction model. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 353 hospitalized patients who attended the Third People’s Hospital of Kunming for the first time from October 2012 to October 2021 and there diagnosed with PHC， and according to the presence or absence of HH， they were divided into HH group with 153 patients and non-HH group with 200 patients. General data and the data of initial clinical testing after admission were collected from all PHC patients. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. After the multicollinearity test was performed for the variables with statistical significance determined by the univariate analysis， the multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent influencing factors. The “rms” software package was used to construct a nomogram risk prediction model， and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve were used to assess the risk prediction model； the “Calibration Curves” software package was used to plot the calibration curve， and the “rmda” software package was used to plot the clinical decision curve and the clinical impact curve. ResultsAmong the 353 patients with PHC， there were 153 patients with HH， with a prevalence rate of 43.34%. Child-Pugh class B （odds ratio ［OR］=2.652， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.050 — 6.698， P=0.039）， Child-Pugh class C （OR=7.963， 95%CI： 1.046‍ ‍—‍ ‍60.632， P=0.045）， total protein （OR=0.947， 95%CI： 0.914‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.981， P=0.003）， high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （OR=1.007， 95%CI： 1.001‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.014， P=0.025）， and interleukin-2 （OR=0.801， 95%CI： 0.653‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.981， P=0.032） were independent influencing factors for HH before PHC intervention， and a nomogram risk prediction model was established based on these factors. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the model had a good degree of fitting （χ²=5.006， P=0.757）， with an area under the ROC curve of 0.752 （95%CI： 0.701‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.803）， a sensitivity of 78.40%， and a specificity of 63.50%. The calibration curve showed that the model had good consistency in predicting HH before PHC intervention， and the clinical decision curve and the clinical impact curve showed that the model had good clinical practicability within a certain threshold range. ConclusionChild-Pugh class， total protein， interleukin-2， and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein are independent influencing factors for developing HH before PHC intervention， and the nomogram model established based on these factors can effectively predict the risk of developing HH.

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of noninvasive imaging detection （FibroScan）， two serological models of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio （GPR） score and S index， and two inflammatory factors of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in predicting liver fibrosis in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B （CHB）， as well as the consistency of liver biopsy in pathological staging， and to provide early warning for early intervention of CHB. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 131 HBeAg-positive CHB patients who underwent liver biopsy in The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2019 to December 2023. The results of liver biopsy were collected from all patients， and related examinations were performed before liver biopsy， including total bilirubin， alanine aminotransferase， platelet count， gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase， albumin， IL-6， TNF-α， liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， and abdominal ultrasound. An analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups， and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. A Kappa analysis was used to investigate the consistency between LSM noninvasive histological staging and pathological staging based on liver biopsy， and the Spearman analysis was used to investigate the correlation between each variable and FibroScan in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis stage. The Logistic regression analysis was used to construct joint predictive factors. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to evaluate the value of each indicator alone and the joint predictive model in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis， and the Delong test was used for comparison of the area under the ROC curve （AUC）. ResultsIn the consistency check， inflammation degree based on liver biopsy had a Kappa value of 0.807 （P<0.001）， and liver fibrosis degree based on liver biopsy had a Kappa value of 0.827 （P<0.001）， suggesting that FibroScan noninvasive histological staging and liver biopsy showed good consistency in assessing inflammation degree and liver fibrosis stage. Age was positively correlated with LSM， GPR score， S index， IL-6， and TNF-α （all P<0.05）， and GPR score， S index， IL-6， and TNF-α were positively correlated with LSM （all P<0.05）. GPR score， S index， IL-6， and TNF-α were all independent risk factors for diagnosing significant liver fibrosis （≥S2） and progressive liver fibrosis （≥S3） （all P<0.05）. As for each indicator alone， GPR score had the highest value in the diagnosis of significant liver fibrosis （≥S2）， followed by S index， IL-6， and TNF-α， while S index had the highest value in the diagnosis of progressive liver fibrosis （≥S3）， followed by GPR score， TNF-α， and IL-6. The joint model had a higher predictive value than each indicator alone （all P<0.05）. ConclusionThere is a good consistency between FibroScan noninvasive histological staging and pathological staging based on liver biopsy. GPR score， S index， IL-6， and TNF-α are independent risk factors for evaluating different degree of liver fibrosis in CHB， and the combined prediction model established by them can better diagnose liver fibrosis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of albumin-bilirubin （ALBI）， easy albumin-bilirubin （EZ-ALBI）， and platelet-albumin-bilirubin （PALBI） scores in predicting 2-year survival in patients with HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma （HCV-HCC）. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 174 patients with HCV-HCC who were admitted to The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2020 to January 2022， and the patients were followed up till 2 years after admission. According to the follow-up results， the patients were divided into survival group with 95 patients and death group with 79 patients. The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression model analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for the survival of HCV-HCC patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves and analyze the 2-year survival rate of HCV-HCC patients with different EZ-ALBI grades， and the log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. ResultsThere were significant differences between the survival group and the death group in platelet count， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， total bilirubin， albumin （Alb）， alpha-fetoprotein （AFP）， prealbumin， prothrombin time， international normalized ratio， PALBI score， ALBI score， EZ-ALBI score， Model for End-Stage Liver Disease （MELD） score， HCV genotype， peritoneal effusion， and vascular invasion （all P<0.05）. The univariate Cox regression analysis showed that AST， Alb， AFP， ALBI score， EZ-ALBI score， PALBI score， MELD score， Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging， and peritoneal effusion were influencing factors for the survival of patients （all P<0.05）， and the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that EZ-ALBI score （hazard ratio ［HR］=1.850， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.054 — 3.247， P=0.032） and peritoneal effusion （HR=1.993， 95%CI： 1.030 — 3.858， P=0.041） were independent risk factors for the survival of HCV-HCC patients. The survival curve analysis showed that the patients with EZ-ALBI grade 1/2/3 had a 2-year survival rate of 90.9%， 60.2%， and 32.2%， respectively， and there was a significant difference in cumulative survival rate between the patients with different EZ-ALBI grades （χ²=26.294， P<0.001）. ConclusionEZ-ALBI score and the presence or absence of peritoneal effusion can be used as predictors of the survival of HCV-HCC patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of the direct-acting antiviral agents coblopasvir hydrochloride/sofosbuvir （CLP/SOF） regimen used alone or in combination with ribavirin （RBV） in the treatment of patients with genotype 3 hepatitis C virus （HCV） infection in terms of virologic response rate， liver function recovery， improvement in liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， and adverse drug reactions， and to provide a reference for clinical medication. MethodsA total of 98 patients with genotype 3 HCV infection who attended The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2022 to December 2023 were enrolled， and according to the treatment method， the patients were divided into CLP/SOF+RBV treatment group with 55 patients and CLP/SOF treatment group with 43 patients. The patients were observed in terms of rapid virologic response at week 4 （RVR4）， sustained virologic response （SVR）， previous treatment experience， underlying diseases， laboratory and imaging indicators， and adverse reactions during treatment. The course of treatment was 12 weeks， and the patients were followed up for 12 weeks after drug withdrawal. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the Friedman test was used for comparison within each group at different time points， and the Bonferroni method was used for further comparison and correction of P value； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for SVR12. ResultsBefore treatment， there were significant differences between the CLP/SOF+RBV treatment group and the CLP/SOF treatment group in terms of LSM， total bilirubin （TBil）， gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase （GGT）， HCV genotype， and the presence or absence of liver cirrhosis and compensation （all P<0.05）. The 98 patients with genotype 3 HCV infection had an RVR4 rate of 81.6% and an SVR12 rate of 93.9%. The patients with genotype 3a HCV infection had an RVR4 rate of 84.44% and an SVR12 rate of 97.78%， while the patients with genotype 3b HCV infection had an RVR4 rate of 79.25% and an SVR12 rate of 90.57%. There were significant differences in RVR4 and SVR12 rates between the patients without hepatocellular carcinoma and those with hepatocellular carcinoma， there was a significant difference in RVR4 rate between the patients without HIV infection and those with HIV infection， and there was a significant difference in SVR12 rate between the previously untreated patients and the treatment-experienced patients （all P<0.05）. The univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that treatment history， hypertension， hepatocellular carcinoma， ascites， albumin （Alb）， and platelet count were influencing factors for SVR12 （all P<0.05）， and the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that hepatocellular carcinoma （odds ratio=0.034， 95% confidence interval： 0.002‍ ‍—‍‍ 0.666， P=0.026） was an independent influencing factor for SVR12. After treatment with CLP/SOF combined with RBV or CLP/SOF alone， the patients with genotype 3 HCV infection showed gradual reductions in the liver function parameters of TBil， GGT， and alanine aminotransferase （all P<0.05） and a gradual increase in the level of Alb （P<0.05）. As for renal function， there were no significant changes in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine after treatment （P>0.05）. For the patients with or without liver cirrhosis， there was a significant reduction in LSM from baseline after treatment for 12 weeks （P<0.05）. Among the 98 patients with genotype 3 HCV infection， 9 tested positive for HCV-RNA at 12 weeks after treatment， 2 showed no response during treatment， 4 showed virologic breakthrough， and 3 experienced recurrence. The overall incidence rate of adverse events during treatment was 17.35% for all patients. ConclusionCLP/SOF alone or in combination with RBV has a relatively high SVR rate in the treatment of genotype 3 HCV infection， with good tolerability and safety in patients during treatment， and therefore， it holds promise for clinical application.

Objective:To understand the pathogenic situation of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Linyi City, and to analyze the gene characteristics of Coxsackievirus A10 complete VP1 region.Methods:The samples of HFMD cases from Linyi City in 2023 were tested for typing and strain isolation, and the VP1 gene of CV-A10 isolate was amplified and sequenced. The obtained sequences were compared with those in the NCBI database, and the phylogenetic tree was constructed for gene characteristics and molecular epidemiological analysis.Results:In 2023, a total of 861 samples of HFMD were collected, and 594 (68.99%) were positive for nucleic acid tests. The male to female ratio of positive cases was 1.56∶1. Children under 5 years old accounted for 81.65%, and the highest incidence season was from June to August (83.84%). CV-A6 was the main pathogen (84.51%), followed by CV-A10 (9.93%). The nucleotide and amino acid homology of VP1 gene sequence among 13 isolates were 93.29%-100.00% and 97.65%-100.00%, respectively. The nucleotide and amino acid homology with AF081300-Kowalik/USA/1950 was lower (75.95%-76.62%, 91.72%-92.41%). The amino acid and nucleotide homology with C2c was the highest (94.28%-96.76%, 98.28%-100.00%), and the genetic distance was the closest (0.04-0.06). Amino acid site variation analysis showed that compared with the prototype strain AF081300-Kowalik/USA/1950, the isolates had more site variation, while only some isolates had I80V, E141K, P147S, T219I, E240K and V261I mutations compared with the representative strain C2c. The genetic evolution tree showed that the isolates were all in the same clade as the C2c representative strains, and they all belonged to the C2c genotype, and the isolates were further divided into two smaller clades.Conclusions:In 2023, CV-A6 was the main pathogen of HFMD in Linyi City, followed by CV-A10. All CV-A10 isolates were C2c genotypes and can be divided into two evolutionary clades. Continuous monitoring and genetic characterization of CV-A10 should be strengthened.

Objective To investigate the relationship between hepatitis B (HB) surface antigen (HB-sAg) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) during pegylated interferon α-2b (PEG-IFNα-2b) treatment in the HB patients with low HBsAg level.Methods A total of 103 HB patients with low HBsAg level conduc-ting PEG-IFNα-2b combined with nucleos(t)ide analogues antiviral treatment in this hospital during 2020-2022 were selected as the study subjects and divided into the TSH increase group,TSH normal group and TSH decrease group according to the TSH level of the patients during PEG-IFNα-2b treatment.The general data and laboratory indexes in various groups were collected.The differences in HBsAg levels were analyzed. Results There were no statistically significant differences in baseline gender,age,WBC,Hb,PLT,HBsAg,to-tal triiodothyronine (TT3),total thyroxine (TT4),free triiodothyronine (FT3),free thyroxine (FT4) and TSH among the groups (P>0.05).There were statistically significant differences in the level of HBsAg be-tween 24-week treatment and 48-week treatment and the degree of HBsAg decrease at 24-week treatment a-mong the groups (P<0.05).The HBsAg level after 24-week,48-week treatment in the TSH decrease group was significantly lower than that in the normal TSH group,and the decrease degree of HBsAg at 24-week treatment was significantly higher than that in the normal TSH group,and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusion PEG-IFN-α-2b has better antiviral efficacy for TSH decrease(hyperthy-roidism/subclinical hyperthyroidism) in the patients with HBsAg low level hepatitis B.

Objective This study is to explore the clinical efficacy and common adverse reactions of PEG-IFN α-2b combined with TMF and TDF in the treatment of hepatitis B liver fibrosis,and provide more clinical reference for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.Methods From January 2022 to December 2023,we selected 130 patients with chronic hepatitis B liver fibrosis who were admitted to Kunming Third People's Hospital.Divided into TMF combined group and TDF combined group,the virus reduction level,virus response rate,liver fibrosis four items,instantaneous elastography(FibroScan)and other indicators were compared between the two groups of patients after 48 weeks of treatment.The changes in liver fibrosis grading and adverse reactions before and after treatment were also compared.Results After 48 weeks of treatment,the TMF combined group showed a significant increase in HBV DNA seroconversion rate and HBeAg seroconversion rate compared to the TDF combined group,with statistical significance(P<0.05).However,there was no statistically significant difference in HBsAg seroconversion rate between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).After 48 weeks of treatment,the TMF combined group showed more significant efficacy in reducing the levels of HA,PC Ⅲ,Ⅳ-C,and LN,with a significant difference(P<0.05);After 48 weeks of treatment,both groups of patients showed improvement in the degree of liver tissue fibrosis.Compared with the TDF combined group,the TMF combined group had a more significant effect on tissue improvement.After 48 weeks of treatment,the incidence of dyslipidemia,hypothyroidism,and diarrhea was higher in the TMF combined group than in the TDF combined group(P<0.05);After 48 weeks of treatment,there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of gingival bleeding,anemia,and thrombocytopenia between the two groups of patients(P>0.05);The incidence of elevated uric acid and joint pain in the TDF combined group was higher than that in the TMF combined group after 48 weeks of treatment(P<0.05).Conclusion TMF combined with PEG-IFN α-2b has better clinical efficacy in treating chronic hepatitis B,strong antiviral ability,greater inhibition of liver fibrosis,good drug safety,better prognosis,and can provide more effective medication basis for clinical cure of hepatitis B.

Objective:To analyze the hepatic tissue inflammatory activity and influencing factors in HBeAg-positive patients during normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and indeterminate phases so as to provide a basis for evaluating the disease condition.Methods:Patients with HBeAg-positive with normal ALT and HBV DNA levels below 2 × 10 7 IU/ml from January 2017 to December 2021 were selected as the study subjects. A histopathologic liver test was performed on these patients. Age, gender, time of HBV infection, liver function, HBsAg level, HBV DNA load, genotype, portal vein inner diameter, splenic vein inner diameter, splenic thickness, and others of the patients were collected. Significant influencing factors of inflammation were analyzed in patients using logistic regression analysis, and its effectiveness was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results:Of the 178 cases, there were 0 cases of inflammation in G0, 52 cases in G1, 101 cases in G2, 24 cases in G3, and one case in G4. 126 cases (70.8%) had inflammatory activity ≥ G2. Infection time ( Z=-7.138, P<0.001), γ-glutamyltransferase ( t ?=-2.940, P=0.004), aspartate aminotransferase ( t ?=-2.749, P=0.007), ALT ( t ?=-2.153, P=0.033), HBV DNA level ( t ?=-4.771, P=0.010) and portal vein inner diameter ( t ?=-4.771, P<0.001) between the ≥G2 group and < G2 group were statistically significantly different. A logistic regression analysis showed that significant inflammation in liver tissue was independently correlated with infection time [odds ratio (OR)=1.437, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.267-1.630; P<0.001)] and portal vein inner diameter ( OR=2.738, 95% CI: 1.641, 4.570; P<0.001). The area under the curve (AUROC), specificity, and sensitivity for infection time and portal vein inner diameter were 0.84, 0.71, 0.87, 0.72, 0.40, and 0.95, respectively. Conclusion:A considerable proportion of HBeAg-positive patients have inflammation grade ≥G2 during normal ALT and indeterminate phases, pointing to the need for antiviral therapy. Additionally, inflammatory activity has a close association with the time of infection and portal vein inner diameter.

Objective To analyze the influencing factors of pulmonary infection in patients with primary liver cancer(PHC)before intervention,and establish a nomogram risk prediction model to verify it.Methods A total of 1 635 patients with PHC diagnosed and hospitalized for the first time were selected and divided into the infected group(197 cases)and the non-infected group(1 438 cases)according to whether they had pulmonary infection.General data such as body mass index(BMI),chronic hepatitis B(CHB),chronic hepatitis C(CHC),Barcelona stage(BCLC),white blood cells(WBC),neutrophils(NEU),hemoglobin(Hb)and other blood routine indicators were collected.Total protein(TP),prealbumin(PA),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),gamma glutamylaminotransferase(GGT),alkaline phospholipase(ALP),abnormal prothrombin(PIVKA-Ⅱ),alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),procalcitonin(PCT),hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),cholinesterase(ChE),total cholesterol(TC)and other blood biochemical indicators,CD3 cell count(CD3+),CD4 cell count(CD4+),CD4/CD8 ratio(CD4+/CD8+),CD19 cell count(CD19+),interleukin(IL)-2,interferon(IFN)-α,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α and other cytokines were also collected.Univariate analysis and Lasso regression were used to screen variables,and binary Logistic regression analysis was used to determine risk factors for pulmonary infection in PHC patients before intervention.The risk prediction model was established and evaluated.Results Compared with the non-infected group,age,smoking rate,CHC,pleural effusion,gastrointestinal hemorrhage,Child-Pugh grade C,BCLC Phase A/C/D ratio,WBC,NEU,AST,GGT,ALP,PIVKA-Ⅱ,AFP,CEA,PCT,hs-CRP,IL-2,IL-5,IL-6,IL-8,IL-10,IL-12,IFN-γ and TNF-α levels were higher in the infected group,and levels of BMI,CHB ratio,Hb,TP,PA,ChE,TC,CD3+,CD4+,CD4+/CD8+,CD19+and IFN-α were lower(P<0.05).Lasso regression and binary Logistic regression analysis showed that pleural effusion,gastrointestinal hemorrhage,higher level of age,WBC,Hb and lower level of TP were independent risk factors for pulmonary infection in patients with PHC before intervention.The area under receiver operating curve(ROC)of the established nomogram model was 0.700(95%CI:0.659-0.740),and Hosmer-Lemeshow test results showed good goodness-fit of the model.Self-sampling was repeated 1 000 times for internal verification.The consistency of the model was good.Conclusion Pleural effusion,gastrointestinal hemorrhage,higher level of age,WBC,Hb and lower level of TP are independent risk factors for pulmonary infection in PHC patients before intervention.The established nomogram prediction model can effectively evaluate the risk of pulmonary infection in PHC patients before intervention.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir alone or in combination with ribavirin in Chinese patients with genotype 3B HCV/HIV infection. MethodsA total of 299 patients with genotype 3B HCV/HIV infection who attended The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2017 to December 2020 were enrolled and treated with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir alone or in combination with ribavirin for 12 weeks， and they were followed up for 12 weeks after drug withdrawal. The patients were evaluated in terms of sustained virologic response at 12 weeks after treatment （SVR12） and adverse reactions. The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups； the Agresti-Coull method was used to evaluate the 95% confidence interval （CI） of SVR12； univariate and multivariate non-conditional logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for SVR. ResultsThe 299 patients with genotype 3B HCV/HIV infection had a mean age of 43.92±6.84 years， among whom the male patients accounted for 77.3% （231/299）， the patients with liver cirrhosis accounted for 36.5% （109/299）， the patients with a history of antiviral therapy accounted for 13.4% （40/299）， and the patients receiving sofosbuvir/velpatasvir combined with ribavirin accounted for 27.8% （83/299）. The overall SVR was 87.0% （260/299） for all patients， and there was no significant difference in SVR12 between the patients receiving sofosbuvir/velpatasvir alone and those receiving sofosbuvir/velpatasvir combined with ribavirin （87.5% vs 85.5%， χ²=0.203， P=0.653）. There was a significant difference in SVR12 between the patients without liver cirrhosis and those with liver cirrhosis （90.0% vs 81.7%， χ²=4.256， P=0.039）， and the patients receiving antiviral therapy for the first time had a significantly higher SVR12 than the treatment-experienced patients （93.4% vs 45.0%， χ²=71.670， P<0.001）. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that platelet count （odds ratio ［OR］=0.957， 95%CI： 0.931 — 0.984， P=0.002）， liver stiffness measurement （OR=1.446， 95%CI： 1.147 — 1.822， P=0.002）， and experience in treatment （OR=13.807， 95%CI： 2.970 — 64.174， P=0.001） were independent influencing factors for SVR in patients with genotype 3B HCV/HIV infection. There were 41 cases of serious adverse events， all of which occurred within 2 weeks after antiviral therapy， and 28 cases were resolved without drug withdrawal or active treatment， while 13 cases were not resolved after active treatment and were resolved after the antiviral drugs were stopped for 2‍ ‍—‍ ‍5 days， with no similar reactions observed when the drugs were used again after remission. ConclusionSofosbuvir/velpatasvir alone or in combination with ribavirin has relatively good efficacy and safety in patients with genotype 3B HCV/HIV infection.