Among those coinfected with HIV, a cure for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is linked with improvements in liver stiffness, even if they have cirrhosis, aidsmap reports. Publishing their findings in the journal AIDS, researchers studied 98 HIV/HCV-coinfected individuals who had taken at least one dose of hep C therapy.

Fifty-three members of the cohort (54 percent) achieved a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after completing therapy (SVR12, considered a cure).

The median follow-up time for the entire study group was 45 months.

One year after treatment, the probability of seeing FibroScan liver stiffness tests values drop by 30 percent was 51 percent among those cured of hep C and 21 percent among those who were not cured. Two years after treatment, the respective rates of those experiencing such a drop were 74 percent and 28 percent.

Among the 35 individuals who had cirrhosis before hep C treatment, 14 of 18 (78 percent) of those who were cured and 3 of 17 (18 percent) of those who were not cured saw their liver stiffness drop below the FibroScan test’s cirrhosis threshold.

The researchers found that, among the study cohort as a whole and among just those with cirrhosis, curing hep C was linked with a respective 5.77-fold and 8.21-fold increased likelihood of reducing liver stiffness levels by at least 30 percent.

To read the study abstract, click here.

To read the aidsmap article, click here.