HCV coinfection contributes to HIV pathogenesis by increasing immune exhaustion in CD8 T-cells.

A multivariate linear regression analysis using CD4 counts, HIV-pVL, presence of HCV coinfection, drug abuse and gender as explanatory variables, and the different immune parameters as dependent variables, revealed that some parameters involved in HIV pathogenesis could be affected by HCV coinfection: a) exhaustion of CD4 T-cells was associated only with HIV-pVL; b) level of naïve RTE CD4 T-cells with presence of HCV coinfection; c) apoptosis and turnover of CD4 T-cells was associated with CD4 counts; d) activation (CD38+HLADR- subset) of CD8 T-cells was associated with HIV-pVL and almost significantly with presence of HCV coinfection; e) exhaustion of CD8 T-cells was associated with both presence of HCV coinfection and CD4 count ( Table 2 ).

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