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November 27, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Association of Increased Hepatitis C Virus-Specific IgG and Soluble CD26 Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV Enzyme Activity With Hepatotoxicity After HAART..." Journal of Infectious Diseases
(www.journals.uchicago.edu/JID/home.html) (11/15/02) Vol. 186, No. 10, P. 1499; Stone, Shelley F.; Lee, Silvia; Keane, Niamh M.
Sixteen HIV-positive patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection were administered highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to combat their HIV infection. Using plasma gathered before and during treatment, the patients' hepatotoxicity was assessed to determine the effect of HAART on HCV-associated illness. Hepatitis was observed in four patients, and 11 of the patients showed hepatotoxicity. Five patients without hepatotoxicity acted as control subjects. The plasma samples demonstrated that for all of the hepatotoxic patients there were higher HCV-specific immune responses in the form of core-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies and greater T cell activation in soluble CD26 dipeptidyl peptidase IV enzyme activity. However, inflammation was not observed, typically in the form of higher nitrate and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I levels. The researchers linked hepatotoxicity without clinical hepatitis to raised CD8 T cell levels. Thus, HCV-specific immune responses and T cell activation were associated with hepatotoxicity in patients with both HIV and HCV receiving HAART.
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