Minireviews
Copyright ©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. Jun 27, 2013; 5(6): 323-327
Published online Jun 27, 2013. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v5.i6.323
Hepatocellular carcinoma in patients co-infected with hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus
Dimitrios Dimitroulis, Serena Valsami, Eleftherios Spartalis, Emmanuel Pikoulis, Gregory Kouraklis
Dimitrios Dimitroulis, Eleftherios Spartalis, Emmanuel Pikoulis, Gregory Kouraklis, Second Department of Propedeutic Surgery, Athens University Medical School, “Laiko” Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
Serena Valsami, Blood Transfusion Department, Athens University Medical School, Areteion Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
Author contributions: Dimitroulis D and Kouraklis G designed the research; Valsami S performed the research; Spartalis E and Pikoulis E analyzed the data; Dimitroulis D and Spartalis E wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Eleftherios Spartalis, MD, MSc, Second Department of Propedeutic Surgery, Athens University Medical School, “Laiko” Hospital, Vasilissis Sofias 49, 11527 Athens, Greece. eleftherios.spartalis@gmail.com
Telephone: +30-697-4714078 Fax: +30-210-7456972
Received: February 27, 2013
Revised: April 17, 2013
Accepted: May 8, 2013
Published online: June 27, 2013
Processing time: 120 Days and 14.4 Hours
Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) share a common route of transmission so that about one third of HIV infected individuals show HCV co-infection. Highly active antiretroviral therapy has offered a longer and better life to infected patients. While has removed AIDS-related diseases from the list of most common causes of death their place has been taken by complications of HCV infection, such as cirrhosis, end stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HIV/HCV co-infection requires complex management, especially when HCC is present. Co-infected patients with HCC undergo the same therapeutic protocol as their mono-infected counterparts, but special issues such as interaction between regimens, withdrawal of therapy and choice of immunosuppressive agents, demand a careful approach by specialists. All these issues are analyzed in this minireview.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Hepatitis C virus, Human immunodeficiency virus; Co-infection

Core tip: Hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus co-infected patients with Hepatocellular carcinoma, undergo the same therapeutic protocol as their mono-infected counterparts, but special issues such as interaction between regimens, withdrawal of therapy and choice of immunosuppressive agents, demand a careful approach by specialists.