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Elevated serum levels of interferon- gamma -inducible protein-10 in patients coinfected with hepatitis C virus and HIV.

Roe B, Coughlan S, Hassan J, Grogan A, Farrell G, Norris S, Bergin C, Hall WW

Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.

Coinfection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with an accelerated course of HCV infection and a faster progression to severe liver disease. We have investigated whether the development of liver disease in coinfected patients is associated with specific chemokine and cytokine production. Four cohorts--HCV/HIV-coinfected patients, HCV-monoinfected patients, HIV-monoinfected patients, and healthy control subjects--were studied. Serum levels of the 10-kDa interferon- gamma -inducible protein (IP-10) were higher in all 3 groups of infected patients than in control subjects (P<.0001). HCV/HIV-coinfected patients had significantly higher IP-10 levels than monoinfected patients. In HCV-monoinfected patients, liver fibrosis scores and liver enzyme levels were positively correlated with IP-10 levels. Elevated IP-10 levels are associated with and may contribute to liver damage in both HCV-monoinfected and HCV/HIV-coinfected patients.

Published 31 August 2007 in J Infect Dis, 196(7): 1053-7.
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