ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY AND THE RISK OF LIVER FIBROSIS PROGRESSION IN HIV/HCV COINFECTED PATIENTS

The purpose of the study is to determine the nature of the impact of antiretroviral therapy on the development of liver fibrosis in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), depending on the order of pathogens acquisition. The fact is that the HIV/HCV coinfection is one of the most common pathological conditions worldwide and liver disease is a major cause of death for these patients. We have previously described the phenomenon, according to which the order of viral pathogens acquisition in HIV/HCV coinfected patients has a significant impact on the degree of progression of liver fibrosis. Introduction to clinical practice of antiretroviral therapy greatly increased the life expectancy of HIV-infected patients, however, the impact of ART on a progressive course of liver fibrosis in HIV/HCV coinfected patients have not yet been definitively established.