Pol S, et al. - The researchers intended to compare the characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfected patients to those of HBV- or HCV-monoinfected patients in the ANRS CO22 HEPATHER cohort study. In HBV patients, HCV coinfection harmfully affected liver fibrosis, whereas decompensated cirrhosis was increased in coinfected patients compared with HBV- or HCV-monoinfected patients. In coinfected patients, HCV treatment was as safe and effective as in monoinfected patients and ought to be considered following the same rules as HCV monoinfected patients.

• The researchers enrolled 20936 patients.
• Out of them, 95 had HBV/HCV coinfection (hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-HCV antibody and HCV RNA positive).
• They matched the patients with 375 HBV- and 380 HCV-monoinfected patients on age, gender and time since HBV or HCV diagnosis

• In coinfected patients (58%), F3-F4 fibrosis was more frequent than in HBV- (32%, P < .0001), but similar in HCV-monoinfected patients (52%, P = .3142).
• Among coinfected patients (11%), decompensated cirrhosis was more frequent than in HBV- (2%, P = .0002) or HCV- (4%, P = .0275) monoinfected patients.
• Compared to HBV patients (12%, P = .0011), past excessive alcohol use was more frequent in coinfected patients (26%), but similar in HCV monoinfected patients (32%, P = .2868).
• A higher proportion with arterial hypertension was observed in coinfected patients (42%) than HBV- (26%) or HCV-monoinfected patients (25%) (P < .003).
• The researcher confirmed the association between F3-F4 fibrosis and HCV infection in HBV-infected patients (OR = 3.84, 95% CI 1.99-7.43) and the association between decompensated cirrhosis and coinfection in HBV infected (OR = 5.58, 95% CI 1.42-22.0) or HCV infected patients (OR = 3.02, 95% CI 1.22-7.44) in multivariable analysis.