Mortality among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients with Cirrhosis or Hepatocellular Carcinoma Due to Hepatitis C Virus in French Departments of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases, in 1995 and 1997

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases 2001-04, Vol.32 (8), p.1207-1214
• Main Authors: Cacoub, Patrice, Geffray, Loïk, Rosenthal, Eric, Perronne, Christian, Veyssier, Pierre, Raguin, Gilles
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; AIDS; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - epidemiology; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - mortality; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - complications; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - mortality; Cirrhosis; Death; Drug addiction; Female; France - epidemiology; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis C - complications; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; Hepatitis C - mortality; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatocellular carcinoma; HIV; HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - mortality; HIV/AIDS; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Liver Cirrhosis - complications; Liver Cirrhosis - mortality; Liver Neoplasms - complications; Liver Neoplasms - mortality; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mortality; Mortality - trends; Retrospective Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1086/319747

Several studies have suggested that the progression of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is more severe in patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Two national retrospective multicenter cohort surveys were performed in France that included 17,487 HIV-infected patients during 1995 and 26,497 during 1997. The following data was evaluated: total number of deaths; number of deaths linked to AIDS, cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); and number of deaths related to other (non-HCV-linked) causes. In 1995, the causes of death were as follows: AIDS, 1307 (7.47%); cirrhosis or HCC, 21 (0.12%); and other (non-HCV-linked) causes, 99 (0.56%). In 1997, the causes of deaths were as follows: AIDS, 459 (1.73%); cirrhosis or HCC 36 (0.13%); and other (non-HCV-linked) causes, 48 (0.18%). Comparative results between the 1995 and 1997 surveys showed a dramatic decrease in AIDS-related mortality rates (7.47% vs. 1.73%; P < .001) but not in HCV-related mortality rates (0.06% vs. 0.07%; P = .79). In France, despite the high prevalence of HCV infection in HIV-positive patients, the mortality rate in 1995 and 1997 caused by HCV-related cirrhosis or HCC was low.