Hepatitis C Infection Isn't Related to HIV Brain Woes: Study | WPN World People News

Hepatitis C infection does not contribute to mental decline in people with HIV, according to a new study.

Treatment advances have made it possible for people with HIV to survive much longer, but many develop memory and thinking problems, mood swings and other types of mental impairment as they age.

It's believed that long-term infections with other viruses -- a common problem in people with HIV -- may affect the brain. One of the prime suspects has been the hepatitis C virus, which infects about one in three HIV patients in the United States, according to background information on the study.

Researchers examined nearly 1,600 HIV patients -- about one-quarter of whom were also infected with hepatitis C -- and found no link between hepatitis C infection and mental decline.

"Hepatitis C infection has serious long-term side effects, such as damage to the liver, but our research indicates that it does not affect the brain," expert said.

The researchers will now focus on immune responses triggered by HIV in the brain and the bowel during the initial stages of infection. These early immune responses may trigger chronic inflammation that harms the brain.

"If a hepatitis C infection gets to the point where it damages liver function, the resulting inflammation might well contribute to mental impairment," expert said. "Beyond that, though, it doesn't seem to be an active collaborator in the harm HIV does to the brain."

Source: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services