HCV coinfection of the HIV-infected patients with discordant CD4 T-cell response to antiretroviral therapy leads to intense systemic inflammation.

The level of proinflammatory markers was assessed in HIV-infected patients that were coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and had failed to restore the CD4 T cell counts (immunological nonresponders, INR) during the antiretroviral therapy (ART). Among four patient groups (HIVHCV and HIVHCV subjects with the concordant response to ART; HIVHCV and HIVHCV subjects that were INR), the greatest systemic inflammation was in the latter group. The maximum difference was between the subjects HIVHCVINR and HIVHCV INR: the blood of coinfected patients contained significantly higher concentrations of the IP-10, sCD163, sTNF-RI, and sTNF-RII and of bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Systemic inflammation in HIV/HCV coinfected patients with the discordant response to ART is probably caused by a breach of hepatic barrier for the intestine products.