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Query: UMLS:C0019693 (HIV)
 170,526 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hepatitis C (HCV) affects 4 million Americans and 40 percent of HIV patients, many of whom do not know they are infected. Most of the liver transplants performed in this country are a result of HCV infections. Only one drug, alpha interferon, had been approved to treat HCV, and it is costly and ineffective. However, the FDA recently approved Schering-Plough's REBETRON, which contains injectable alpha interferon and oral doses of Ribavirin in a single "bundled" package. Ribavirin had been approved throughout the world as a broad spectrum antiviral, but its approval in the U.S. was delayed due to questions about its usefulness in treating HIV. Schering-Plough has been criticized for bundling the two drugs. The American Foundation for AIDS Research (AMFAR) is conducting the first study of Ribavirin and alpha interferon for treating HCV in people who are co-infected with HIV. Information is included regarding how to obtain several papers on these drugs.
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PMID:Hepatitis C: new treatment overview. 1136 63

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has effectively decreased the incidence of opportunistic infections (OIs), and thereby reduced research efforts to find alternative treatments to prevent or treat OIs. However, research on treating OIs is still needed. For instance, It is suggested that people who are co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) should not use protease inhibitors (PIs), because both PIs and HCV significantly strain the liver, and that could increase the risk of liver disease. On the positive side, a study of co-infected people found favorable results in treating HCV with Interferon-alfa, and recently a more effective combination was found with Interferon-alfa plus Ribavirin. Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) has been successfully treated with Clarithromycin and Ethambutol, but resistance to Clarithromycin can develop. A recent study on MAC added Rifabutin to the treatment which prevented the development of resistant MAC. Suggestions are also provided for how to effectively treat cryptococcal meningitis and chronic diarrhea. The discontinuation of maintenance therapy of OIs is discussed, and recommendations are given on who may be able to discontinue maintenance therapy. Pharmaceutical companies are encouraged to continue researching, developing, and marketing affordable and accessible therapies to combat opportunistic infections.
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PMID:Opportunistic infections update. 1136 40

Advances in HIV therapy have greatly reduced the incidence of HIV-related complications and mortality, but co-infection with hepatitis C (HCV) virus is becoming more visible. The two infections share transmission routes, with injection drug users and transfusion patients the most commonly infected. Although sexual transmission is less common with HCV, it may be facilitated by an existing HIV infection. Effective HCV treatment strategies are urgently needed for people with HIV because it is leading to notable morbidity and mortality. Trial results of alfa interferon monotherapy are presented. The combination of interferon with Ribavirin also shows promise.
Hopkins HIV Rep 1999 Jan
PMID:Hepatitis C virus and HIV co-infection: a sleeping giant wakes. 1136 61

Thymosin-Alpha-1 (Zadaxin) is a synthetic hormone that has been studied as a treatment for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Recently approved in Mexico as a booster for the flu vaccine, it was also approved in nine other countries for flu, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. The demand for Thymosin is great but it is difficult to procure. A partnership between Schering-Plough and SciClone Pharmaceuticals has renewed hope that the demand for Thymosin will be met. Schering-Plough is also marketing Rebetron, a packaged combination of Ribavirin capsules and injectable alpha-interferon (Intron-A), for the treatment of hepatitis C. Other hepatitis treatments are described, such as Epivir-HBV (3TC, Epivir) which was approved in December for the treatment of Hepatitis B. Epivir-HBV has shown promising results.
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PMID:Hepatitis treatment update: new approvals, not much news. 1136 97

Ribavirin (Rebetol) is Schering Corporation's newly approved drug. It is used in combination with interferon for treatment of chronic hepatitis C in patients whose compensated liver disease has not been treated or who have relapsed after interferon monotherapy. Results of clinical trials are summarized, and dosing options and side effects are detailed. Similar information is provided for abacavir (Ziagen), Glaxo-Wellcome's new nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) that is used in combination therapy to treat HIV.
Hopkins HIV Rep 1999 Mar
PMID:Product information. 1136 50

The problem of treating HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) co-infection is addressed relative to viral load, liver damage, and treatment planning. Interferon treatment for HCV is discussed, as are the problems of dosing and side effects. It is suggested that higher and more frequent dose regimens be used to reduce viral load quickly, and that combining Interferon with Ribavirin may work better. Special problems associated with HCV/HIV co-infection, such as liver complications and the use of Ribavirin, are addressed. Patients are encouraged to actively participate in their treatment planning.
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PMID:Does your liver quiver? Hepatitis C and HIV. 1136 84

IL-12 (Interleukin-12) is being studied as a treatment for people with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Combination therapy with Interferon-alpha and Ribavirin is the new standard treatment for HCV, but as many as 60 percent of patients on this regimen will not recover. IL-12 is a cytokine, or chemical messenger, that may boost the immune system. Animal experiments with the drug have been promising. In addition, HIV researchers are interested in IL-12's antiviral potential. However, results of treatment with IL-12 alone for HCV remain disappointing, and further research with IL-12 is necessary.
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PMID:IL-12 for hepatitis C. 1136 33

Cases of Hepatitis C (HCV) are increasing and often go undetected for years. A screening test developed in 1989 has lowered the risk of transmitting the disease by blood transfusion. However, needle-sharing by intravenous drug users and sexual activity with multiple partners increase the risk of contracting the infection. About 9 percent of individuals with HIV are coinfected with HCV, therefore identifying and treating these infections early is important. Initial symptoms of HCV are rare and the disease may go unnoticed for decades. Anyone with risk factors should get tested for HCV antibodies. Based on the results of the initial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, additional tests or a liver biopsy may be recommended. A chart detailing the characteristics and treatments for Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and F is given. Treatments for HCV, including interferon alpha and combination therapy containing Ribavirin, are discussed. A physician may prescribe anti-HIV drugs to combat both infections, but the drugs may also strain liver function. HCV is predicted to be a greater concern as people with AIDS live longer. There is no vaccine to prevent transmission, nor a definitive method for managing the infection.
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PMID:Double trouble: coinfection with HIV and hepatitis C. 1136 57

Ribavirin is a very broad-spectrum virustatic antiviral agent, first synthesised in 1972. It is characterised by low toxicity apart from reversible anaemia, usually mild. Its multiple mechanisms of action mean that viral resistance rarely develops. It can be administered orally, intravenously, or via a nebuliser. It has shown varying degrees of clinical efficacy in a variety of human diseases including respiratory tract infections due to respiratory syncytial virus and influenza, measles, herpesvirus infections, HIV infection, Lassa fever, haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, and (in combination with IFN-alpha) chronic hepatitis C infection. It may well prove of value against other emerging exotic infections (e.g., West Nile virus, Nipah virus).
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PMID:Ribavirin--current status of a broad spectrum antiviral agent. 1158

Hepatitis C is nowadays mainly acquired in childhood through vertical transmission, while transfusion or surgery related contamination is no more significant. The risk of maternal transmission is related to presence and amount of maternal HCV RNA at the time of delivery. Infection rate is higher in children form HIV positive mothers, and higher if they are themselves co-infected with HIV. Breast milk feeding is not a risk factor, and there is so far no argument to propose cesarean delivery to HCV positive mothers. Treatment with interferon alone is poorly efficient, although pediatric studies remain scarce. Combination treatment using Ribavirin plus interferon, or Ribavirin + pegylated interferon yield a higher success in eradicating viral infection in adults. These treatments can be considered for children in selected cases.
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PMID:Hepatitis C in children and adolescents: mode of acquisition, natural history and treatment. 1214 47


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