Treatment of Hepatitis in Patients Who Are Triple-Infected With HIV, Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)

The emergence of liver disease in HIV infected patients with coinfections of HBV and/or HCV has become increasingly important in disease progression in the post-HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) era. The overall rate of HBV and HCV infection in HIV infected persons is 5% to 10%. There is convincing evidence that HIV infection exacerbates the severity of viral hepatitis and the progression of liver disease. Hepatitis treatment studies have generally excluded HIV patients with both HBV and HCV. As such, the influence of HBV on HCV treatment in HIV infected patients is unknown. This study will investigate the safety and anti-HBV efficacy of ADV + PEG-INF + RBV triple therapy in patients with HCV, HIV, and 3TC-resistant HBV. The study will also evaluate the effect of HBV and HBV therapy on HCV and HIV disease progression.

Patients with documented HIV, 3TC-resistant HBV, and HCV will be randomized to one of two treatment regimens for 48 weeks. Patients in both groups will receive daily oral RBV and weekly subcutaneous injections of PEG-INF. Patients in Group A will receive daily ADV; patients in Group B will receive placebo. After 48 weeks of study treatment, all study medications will be discontinued and patients will undergo liver biopsy. Patients will then be followed for an additional 24 weeks. Throughout the study, investigators will monitor numerous lab values and patients will be asked to complete multiple adherence questionnaires. Subjects who have a confirmed 2 point increase in Child-Pugh-Turcotte liver disease prognosis score at any time during the study will permanently discontinue PEG-INF and RBV and register to Step 2 to receive open label ADV.