Coinfection With HIV-1 and HCV—A One-Two Punch

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and death; it is estimated that 180 million persons are infected with HCV worldwide. The consequences of HCV are worse in those who are coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), which is unfortunately a common scenario because of shared risk factors of the viruses. More studies into effects of HCV/HIV-1 coinfection are needed, but efforts have been hampered by limitations in our understanding of the combined pathogenesis of the 2 viruses. Gaining insight into the mechanisms that underlie the immunopathogenesis of these persistent viral infections could lead to new therapeutic strategies for patients with HCV/HIV-1 coinfection.

Abbreviations used in this paper: AIDS, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, FOXP3, forkhead box P3, HIV-1, human immunodeficiency virus 1, IFN, interferon, IL, interleukin, LPS, lipopolysaccharide, MSM, men who have sex with men, NK, natural killer, NKT cell, natural killer T cell, PD-1, programmed death 1, SIV, simian immunodeficiency virus, TGF, transforming growth factor, Th, T helper, TLR, Toll-like receptor (TLR), TRAIL, tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand