Viral Interference Between Hepatitis B, C, and D Viruses in Dual and Triple Infections in HIV-Positive Patients

Objective: To investigate the reciprocal inhibitory effects of hepatitis B virus (HBV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV)/hepatitis D virus (HDV) infections in naive and previously antiretroviral-experienced HIV-positive patients. Design: This retrospective Study involved 72 consecutive patients of the Italian Cohort Naive Antiretroviral cohort: 21 coinfected with HBV/HCV (group IBC), 18 infected with HBV (group 2B), and 33 infected with HCV (group 3C). Methods: Viral interference between HBV and HCV was assessed by means of the qualitative detection, quantification, and genotyping of each virus; HDV infection was assessed by means of genomic amplification. Results: Univariate analysis showed that HBV DNA was less frequently detected in group I BC than in group 213 (16 of 21 vs 18 of 18; P = 0.02), their HBV load was significantly lower (median 3.9 vs 5.4 log(10) HBV DNA copies/mL; P = 0.002), and they more frequently carried HBV genotype D (12 of 13 vs 4 of 11; P = 0.0071). HCV RNA was less frequently detected in group I BC than in group 3C (12 of 21 vs 33 of 33; P 0.0001), and HDV RNA was more frequently detected in group IBC than in group 213 (9 of 21 vs 2 of 18; P = 0.028). Multivariate analysis of the, HBV-infected subjects showed that the risk of HCV coinfection was associated with older age [relative risk 0.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.09 to 0.90; P = 0.033 for every 10 years older] and intravenous drug use (relative risk 73, 95% CI: 2.4 to >999.999; P = 0.013). The only predictor of HBV coinfection in HCV-infected individuals was a lower HCV load (relative risk 0.30, 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.79 for every additional log(10) HCV RNA; P = 0.015). Conclusion: HBV and HCV showed alternative dominant replication in the I.Co.N.A. cohort, with HBV having a more unfavorable effect on HCV replication.