BACKGROUND: Co-infection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is common in hemophiliacs and drug abusers. To assess the interaction between HIV and HCV disease progression, we examined 82 HIV/HCV co-infection patients and 62 HCV infection patints.
METHODS: Liver function, pathological changes, infection duration, immune function and qualitative HCV-RNA and HCV antibody were compared retrospectively between the two groups of patients.
RESULTS: Fourty-eight patients (58.5%) in the HIV/HCV co-infection group and 53 patients (85.5%) in the HCV infection group showed abnormal liver function. No significant difference was observed in inflammation and  fibrosis in the two groups P=0.187, 0.954). However, liver abnormality in the patients with HIV/HCV co-infection appeared 8 years earlier than in those with HCV infection alone  (P<0.001). As to immune function, the counts of CD+4 T and CD+8 T in the HIV/HCV group were (226.35±173.49)×106/L and (914.40±448.28)×106/L, whereas in the HCV group they were (752.31±251.69)×106/L and (529.01±170.67)×106/L respectively. The difference in the two groups was highly significant (P<0.001; P<0.001). The ratio of the number of people with both HCV-RNA and HCV antibody positive to the number of HCV-RNA positive and HCV antibody negative in the HIV/HCV group was 52∶9, whereas in  the HCV group it was 44∶1 (P=0.043).
CONCLUSION: HIV/HCV co-infection can accelerate deterioration of hepatitis C, which may be due to the effect of HIV on cellular immunity and humoral immunity of the body.