ritonavir and Viremia

Darunavir is a new protease inhibitor. This drug is highly active against wild-type and multiresistant HIV strains, binds strongly to the HIV-1 protease, has extremely high affinity for the protease and, when enhanced by subtherapeutic doses of ritonavir, has a favorable resistance profile differing from that of current protease inhibitors (PIs). After determining the optimal dose, phase IIb clinical trials (POWER studies 1 and 2) observed much higher virological and immunological efficacy with darunavir than with the comparator PIs. The results of a phase III clinical trial (POWER 3) provide further support for the safety and efficacy of darunavir, and the three POWER studies demonstrate the high genetic barrier of this drug against mutations conferring resistance to other PIs, although the baseline sensitivity of darunavir and the specific mutations to this PI influence the virological response. Better therapeutic responses have been obtained when there are two or more antiretroviral drugs active against multiresistant HIV strains. The phase III trials (DUET 1 and 2), in which darunavir was administered with the new nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, etravirine, found that if these two drugs were administered in highly treatment-experienced patients, a large percentage showed suppression of plasma viremia and immunological recovery. These data have been supported by the results of the BENCHMARK studies, in which darunavir was included in an optimized regimen in a substantial number of patients. In these trials, when darunavir was administered with the integrase inhibitor, raltegravir, undetectable viral loads both in the raltegravir arm and in the control group were substantially improved with respect to the overall results obtained in the control group.

Topics: Adult; Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Darunavir; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Double-Blind Method; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Viral; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Integrase Inhibitors; HIV Protease; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Nitriles; Pyridazines; Pyrimidines; Pyrrolidinones; Raltegravir Potassium; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Ritonavir; Sulfonamides; Treatment Outcome; Viremia

Simplification of triple antiretroviral therapy to lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) monotherapy in patients with well-controlled viremia for prolonged periods (more than 6 months) without prior failure with a protease inhibitor has been proposed as a strategy that could reduce the toxicity and costs of antiretroviral therapy in the long term while also preserving other therapeutic options. The results of several studies are currently available, some of which had a large number of patients and follow-up of up to 4 years. These studies indicate that this strategy is safe and efficacious, thus allowing its clinical use when indicated. This strategy may be especially useful in reducing the costs of treatment in countries with scarce economic resources. The role of LPV/r monotherapy in the prevention and management of lipodystrophy and in improving the selection of patients with an optimal risk-benefit ratio remains to be defined.

Topics: Anti-HIV Agents; Clinical Trials as Topic; Cost Control; Developing Countries; Drug Combinations; Follow-Up Studies; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy Syndrome; Humans; Lopinavir; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Pilot Projects; Prospective Studies; Pyrimidinones; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Ritonavir; Treatment Outcome; Viral Load; Viremia; Virus Replication

Treatment with lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) monotherapy has been shown to be an effective alternative, especially in the maintenance of patients previously treated with combination therapy and prolonged virological suppression. LPV/r monotherapy is associated with a greater number of low-level viremia episodes than combination therapy, without resistance mutations being detected in the majority of patients. The incidence of the development of major resistance mutations in the OK pilot and OK04 studies was very low: 0.51 per 100 patients-year, and was mainly related to mutations in positions 46, 54 and 82, which have not compromised other therapeutic options. The contribution of low-level resistance mutations to loss of virological control seems small, and no different from that observed in combination therapy. However, this phenomenon should be studied in larger, long-term trials.

Topics: Anti-HIV Agents; Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Combinations; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Viral; HIV Infections; HIV Protease; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Incidence; Lopinavir; Mutation, Missense; Pilot Projects; Point Mutation; Pyrimidinones; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Ritonavir; Viremia

The objective of this study was to assess whether a lower dose than the currently used one of darunavir/ritonavir might achieve good CSF concentrations and contribute to inhibition of CNS viral replication.. This was a substudy of a randomized, open, multicentre study (eudraCT 2011-006272-39), comparing the efficacy and safety of 800/100 mg of darunavir/ritonavir (darunavir 800) versus 600/100 mg of darunavir/ritonavir (darunavir 600) once daily plus tenofovir/emtricitabine or abacavir/lamivudine in 100 virologically suppressed patients. Paired blood and CSF samples were obtained. Total plasma darunavir concentrations were determined by HPLC, and CSF concentrations by liquid chromatography-tandem MS. Viral load (VL) was determined in plasma and CSF (limit of detection = 40 copies/mL) by PCR.. Sixteen patients were enrolled. The median (range) of darunavir CSF concentrations in darunavir 600 (n = 8) and darunavir 800 (n = 8) patients was 17.08 (5.79-30.19) and 13.23 (3.47-32.98) ng/mL, respectively (P = 0.916). The median (range) darunavir CSF:plasma ratio was 0.010 (0.005-0.022) in darunavir 600 patients and 0.008 (0.004-0.017) in the darunavir 800 arm (P = 0.370). All 16 patients had a VL < 40 copies/mL in plasma and 14 had a VL < 40 copies/mL in CSF. Of the two patients with detectable CSF VL (280 copies/mL and 159 copies/mL), one was receiving darunavir 600 and the other darunavir 800 plus tenofovir/emtricitabine. Of note, these patients had the lowest CSF darunavir concentrations in their respective groups: 5.79 ng/mL (802 ng/mL in plasma) and 3.47 ng/mL (958 ng/mL in plasma).. Darunavir CSF and plasma concentrations were comparable between the two arms. However, one patient from each group (with the lowest CSF darunavir concentrations in their respective groups) had detectable CSF VL despite undetectable plasma VL.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anti-HIV Agents; Cerebrospinal Fluid; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Liquid; Darunavir; Female; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Plasma; Ritonavir; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Viral Load; Viremia; Young Adult

Protease inhibitor monotherapy is associated with more frequent episodes of viral rebounds above 50 copies/mL than triple therapy.. To evaluate if, compared to triple-drug therapy, protease inhibitor monotherapy is associated with increased levels of inflammatory/procoagulant markers and more frequent plasma residual viremia detection.. In this cross-sectional study, we included patients treated for ≥ 1 year with darunavir/ritonavir or lopinavir/ritonavir as monotherapy (n=72) or with two nucleos(t)ides (n=74). All samples were tested for CRP, IL-6, fibrinogen and D-dimer. Residual viremia was determined using an ultrasensitive qualitative nested-PCR of the HIV pol gene with a limit of detection of 1 copy of HIV-RNA.. We found no differences in levels of inflammatory/procoagulant markers or in the proportion of patients with plasma residual viremia detection by treatment group.. The long-term treatment with protease inhibitor monotherapy in the setting of routine clinical practice is not associated with a higher prevalence of plasma residual viremia or more elevated inflammatory/procoagulant markers levels than triple drug therapy.

Topics: Adult; Biomarkers; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cytokines; Darunavir; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Inflammation; Lopinavir; Male; Middle Aged; Ritonavir; Sulfonamides; Viremia

Boosted protease inhibitor (bPI) monotherapy (bPImono) potentially has substantial cost, safety and operational benefits. It has never been evaluated as second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Africa.. After 24 weeks of lopinavir/ritonavir-containing second-line therapy, DART participants were randomized to remain on combination therapy (CT), or change to bPImono maintenance (SARA trial; ISRCTN53817258). Joint primary end points were CD4(+) T-cell changes 24 weeks later and serious adverse events (SAEs); retrospectively assayed viral load (VL) was a secondary end point. Analyses were intention-to-treat.. A total of 192 participants were randomized to CT (n=95) or bPImono (n=97) and followed for median 60 weeks (IQR 45-84). Participants received median 4.0 years (IQR 3.5-4.4) first-line ART. Median CD4(+) T-cell count at first-line failure was 86 cells/mm(3) (47-136), increasing to 245 cells/mm(3) (173-325) after 24-week induction when 77% had VL<50 copies/ml. Overall, 44 (23%) were receiving second-line therapy with bPI and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) only, and 148 (77%) with bPI plus non-NRTI (NNRTI) with or without NRTI. At 24 weeks after randomization to CT versus bPImono, mean CD4(+) T-cell increase was 42 (CT, n=85) versus 49 cells/mm(3) (bPImono, n=88; adjusted difference 13 [95% CI -15, 43], P=0.37; non-inferior compared with predetermined non-inferiority margin [-33]). Virological suppression was greater for CT versus bPImono (trend P=0.009): 77% (70/91) versus 60% (56/94) were <50 copies/ml, and 5% (5) versus 14% (13) were ≥1,000 copies/ml, respectively. A total of 0 (0%) versus 5 (5%) participants had major protease inhibitor mutations and 3 (3%) versus 0 (0%) new NNRTI/NRTI mutations were detected during follow-up. Two participants (1 CT and 1 bPImono) died >24 weeks after randomization, and 5 (2 CT and 3 bPImono) experienced SAEs (P=0.51).. bPImono following a 24-week second-line induction was associated with similar CD4(+) T-cell response, but increased low-level viraemia, generally without protease inhibitor resistance. Longer-term trials are needed to provide definitive evidence about effectiveness in Africa.

Topics: Adult; Africa; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Drug Resistance, Viral; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Lopinavir; Male; Middle Aged; Mutation; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Viral Load; Viremia

A higher proportion of intermittent viremia (to have a HIV-1 RNA viral load>50 copies/mL not confirmed) was reported in the boosted protease inhibitor monotherapy arm in some studies including MONOI trial, and that could have an impact on the replenishment of the HIV-1 DNA reservoirs. The HIV-1 DNA level is an interesting marker which reflects the size of cellular HIV reservoir. Our objectives were to study the impact of 96 weeks of Darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy versus a triple standard combination on the HIV-1 blood reservoir and factors associated with HIV-1 plasma DNA at baseline in MONOI trial sub-study.. This sub-study is focused on 160 patients (79 patients in monotherapy arm and 81 in tritherapy arm) for whom blood cells were available both at baseline and at week 96 (W96). Baseline HIV-1 plasma DNA was associated with CD4 nadir, pre therapeutic HIV-1 RNA viral load and baseline HIV-1 RNA measured by ultrasensitive assay. A similar median delta HIV-DNA was observed between D0 and W96 in both arms; 0.35 log copies/10(6) leucocytes in monotherapy arm versus 0.51 log copies/10(6) leucocytes in tritherapy arm.. Despite a higher proportion of intermittent viremia in monotherapy arm, a similar evolution of cellular HIV-1 DNA level was observed between mono and triple therapy arm.. ClinicalTrials. gov NCT00421551.

Topics: Adult; Darunavir; DNA, Viral; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Sulfonamides; Viral Load; Viremia

The authors had for aim to describe the effectiveness and the safety of a saquinavir/ritonavir (SQV/r) regimen, 1000/100mg twice daily, in HIV-infected pregnant patients.. We made a prospective and observational study of HIV positive female patients beginning or going on SQV/r antiretroviral treatment (ART) during pregnancy.. Sixty-two patients were enrolled from July 2007 to June 2009 in 10 infectious diseases units in France. Thirty-six women (group 1) were ART naive on inclusion, 20 (group 2) had been previously treated and then switched to SQV/r, six (group 3) were treated with SQV/r before pregnancy. 58 patients delivered while on SQV/r regimen after a median pregnancy duration of 39 WA. Eighty percent had a viral load below 50 copies/mL and 93% below 400 copies/mL: respectively 77% and 93.5% in group 1, 83% and 89% in group 2, 83% and 100% in group 3. The median SQV minimum concentrations (C(min)) measured at the third trimester and at delivery were adequate, respectively 0.91 mg/L and 0.86 mg/L. Most women (52%) had a vaginal delivery; 12 (21%) had an elective caesarean section, for obstetrics factors in eight cases. None of the newborns were HIV-infected at 6 months of age (n = 59, one death at day 3). Only one severe adverse event occurred due to saquinavir (maternal grade 3 hepatotoxicity).. SQV/r 1000/100mg twice daily seems to be effective and safe in HIV-infected pregnant women with adequate saquinavir C(min).

Topics: Adult; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Cohort Studies; Delivery, Obstetric; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; HIV-2; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Male; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Pregnancy Outcome; Prospective Studies; Ritonavir; Saquinavir; Treatment Outcome; Viral Load; Viremia; Young Adult; Zidovudine

To reduce lipid abnormalities and other side-effects associated with antiretroviral regimens containing lopinavir-ritonavir, patients might want to switch one or more components of their regimen. We compared substitution of raltegravir for lopinavir-ritonavir with continuation of lopinavir-ritonavir in HIV-infected patients with stable viral suppression on lopinavir-ritonavir-based combination therapy.. The SWITCHMRK 1 and 2 studies were multicentre, double-blind, double-dummy, phase 3, randomised controlled trials. HIV-infected patients aged 18 years or older were eligible if they had documented viral RNA (vRNA) concentration below the limit of assay quantification for at least 3 months while on a lopinavir-ritonavir-based regimen. 707 eligible patients were randomly allocated by interactive voice response system in a 1:1 ratio to switch from lopinavir-ritonavir to raltegravir (400 mg twice daily; n=353) or to remain on lopinavir-ritonavir (two 200 mg/50 mg tablets twice daily; n=354), while continuing background therapy consisting of at least two nucleoside or nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Primary endpoints were the mean percentage change in serum lipid concentrations from baseline to week 12; the proportion of patients with vRNA concentration less than 50 copies per mL at week 24 (with all treated patients who did not complete the study counted as failures) with a prespecified non-inferiority margin of -12% for each study; and the frequency of adverse events up to 24 weeks. Analyses were done according to protocol. These trials are registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, numbers NCT00443703 and NCT00443729.. 702 patients received at least one dose of study drug and were included in the efficacy and safety analyses for the combined trials (raltegravir, n=350; lopinavir-ritonavir, n=352). Percentage changes in lipid concentrations from baseline to week 12 were significantly greater (p<0.0001) in the raltegravir group than in the lopinavir-ritonavir group in each study, yielding combined results for total cholesterol -12.6%vs 1.0%, non-HDL cholesterol -15.0%vs 2.6%, and triglycerides -42.2%vs 6.2%. At week 24, 293 (84.4%, 95% CI 80.2-88.1) of 347 patients in the raltegravir group had vRNA concentration less than 50 copies per mL compared with 319 (90.6%, 87.1-93.5) of 352 patients in the lopinavir-ritonavir group (treatment difference -6.2%, -11.2 to -1.3). Clinical and laboratory adverse events occurred at similar frequencies in the treatment groups. There were no serious drug-related adverse events or deaths. The only drug-related clinical adverse event of moderate to severe intensity reported in 1% or more of either treatment group was diarrhoea, which occurred in ten patients in the lopinavir-ritonavir group (3%) and no patients in the raltegravir group. The studies were terminated at week 24 because of lower than expected virological efficacy in the raltegravir group compared with the lopinavir-ritonavir group.. Although switching to raltegravir was associated with greater reductions in serum lipid concentrations than was continuation of lopinavir-ritonavir, efficacy results did not establish non-inferiority of raltegravir to lopinavir-ritonavir.. Merck.

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Cholesterol, LDL; Double-Blind Method; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Lopinavir; Male; Middle Aged; Pyrimidinones; Pyrrolidinones; Raltegravir Potassium; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Treatment Outcome; Viremia

Antiretroviral treatment (ART) significantly reduces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) HIV-1 RNA levels and residual viremia is less frequently found in CSF than in blood. However, persistent intrathecal immunoactivation is common, even after several years of ART. To investigate whether low-level CSF viremia and residual immunoactivation within the central nervous system (CNS) derive from ongoing local viral replication, we conducted a study of treatment intensification in patients on effective ART.. Ten patients on ART with plasma HIV RNA <50 copies per milliliter for >18 months were included. Intensification was given for in total 8 weeks: 4 weeks with maraviroc or lopinavir/ritonavir (good CNS penetration), and 4 weeks with enfuvirtide (poor CNS penetration). Lumbar punctures were performed 4 weeks before, at intensification commencement, at switchover after 4 weeks, at the conclusion of, and 4 weeks after the intensification period.. No significant changes in HIV RNA, neopterin, β2-microglobulin, immunoglobulin G index, albumin ratio, and CD4(+) T-cell count were observed, either in CSF or blood, neither before, during, nor after the intensification periods.. ART intensification did not reduce residual CSF HIV RNA levels or intrathecal immunoactivation in patients on ART. These findings do not support an ongoing viral replication in CNS.

Topics: Adult; Albumins; Anti-HIV Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Central Nervous System Infections; Cross-Over Studies; Cyclohexanes; Enfuvirtide; Female; HIV Envelope Protein gp41; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Lopinavir; Male; Maraviroc; Middle Aged; Neopterin; Peptide Fragments; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Triazoles; Viral Load; Viremia; Virus Replication

Simplified maintenance therapy with ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (ATV/RTV) alone is attractive because of nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)-sparing benefits, low pill burden, once-daily dosage, and safety.. Subjects with virologic suppression after > or = 48 weeks of initial antiretroviral therapy with 2 NRTIs and a protease inhibitor (PI) were enrolled. Subjects switched to ATV/RTV at entry and discontinued NRTIs after 6 weeks. The primary end point was time to virologic failure (confirmed HIV-1 RNA level > or = 200 copies/mL). Drug resistance at virologic failure was evaluated by standard genotyping and single-genome sequencing (SGS). Residual viremia (1.1-49 copies/mL) was measured by single-copy assay.. Thirty-four subjects simplified to ATV/RTV alone, of whom 30 (88%) did not experience virologic failure by 48 weeks after simplification. Residual viremia did not change significantly after NRTI discontinuation among those without virologic failure but did increase 4-12 weeks before confirmed virologic failure. No major PI-resistance mutations were identified at virologic failure by standard genotyping or SGS.. In this pilot study, simplified maintenance therapy with ATV/RTV alone maintained viral suppression in most subjects through 48 weeks. PI resistance was not detected among subjects experiencing virologic failure. Larger, randomized trials are warranted to further define the efficacy and safety of this strategy.

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Atazanavir Sulfate; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Oligopeptides; Pilot Projects; Pyridines; Ritonavir; Treatment Outcome; Viremia; Young Adult

The use of protease inhibitors (PI) has led to a decrease in HIV-1-related mortality and morbidity. The objective of this study was to collect safety data on treatment with fosamprenavir/ritonavir (FPV/r) 700/100mg BID in HIV-infected patients through an expanded access program.. Prospective, multicenter, noncomparative study in HIV-1 infected adults, for whom a regimen containing FPV/r 700/100mg BID was appropriate.. A total of 678 patients were included in the intention-to-treat (ITT) and safety population. The on-treatment (OT) population contained 587 patients: 76% male, 98% Caucasian, and median age 41 years. Median CD4 cell count was 351 cells/microL, HIV-RNA was 3 log copies/mL, and 49% of patients were in CDC class C. After 24 weeks of treatment, serum viral load decreased a median of 1.3 log copies/mL and 73% of patients had <400 copies/mL (P<.0001 vs. baseline); 48-week results were similar. CD4 cell count increased a median of 49 and 62 cells/microL at 24 and 48 weeks, respectively. Adverse events (AEs) associated with the study medication occurred in 21% of patients.. Ritonavir-boosted fosamprenavir as part of antiretroviral therapy is a potent, safe treatment in real-life clinical circumstances.

Topics: Adult; Carbamates; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Comorbidity; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Fever; Furans; Gastrointestinal Diseases; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy Syndrome; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Hypertriglyceridemia; Male; Organophosphates; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Spain; Sulfonamides; Viral Load; Viremia

Currently, comparative data able to define the potency of boosted versus unboosted atazanavir in highly pretreated HIV-infected patients are limited. Specifically, in clinical practice it is very important to establish whether atazanavir-boosting with ritonavir warrants potency and efficacy that overcome the profile of unboosted drug. For this reason, our goal was to evaluate viro-immunologic determinants of response to atazanavir, in unboosted ATV400 or boosted ATV300/r formulation, from baseline to week 48 in highly pretreated HIV-infected patients enrolled in a prospective observational Italian study. Data from 354 patients included in an atazanavir "Early Access Program" (AI424-900) with baseline viremia 500 copies per milliliter or more and with an available virologic follow-up were examined using as-treated analysis. Of these, 200 (56.5%) and 154 (43.5%), respectively, received regimens containing ATV300/r or ATV400. Virologic success (VS) was defined as reaching viremia of less than 500 copies per milliliter during follow-up. Estimated median time to VS was 8 weeks in the ATV300/r group and 13 weeks in the ATV400 group. Proportion of patients achieving VS was higher in the ATV300/r group than in ATV400 group at week 12 (66% versus 47%), as well as at week 48 (86% versus 64%). At multivariate Cox regression, receiving ATV300/r dosing was independently associated with increased probability of achieving VS [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR): 1.57; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19-2.06]. Conversely, CDC stage C, higher baseline viral load, and more experience with protease inhibitors (PIs) were associated with poorer virologic response. In an unselected population of highly pretreated HIV-infected individuals, receiving atazanavir as part of antiretroviral regimen results in effective virologic response and immunologic recovery. The antiviral efficacy of atazanavir is greater when boosted with low-dose ritonavir.

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Atazanavir Sulfate; Cohort Studies; Drug Synergism; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Italy; Male; Middle Aged; Oligopeptides; Proportional Hazards Models; Pyridines; Ritonavir; Treatment Outcome; Viral Load; Viremia

To identify potential causes and clinical implications of transient increases in plasma viral load (hereafter, "blips").. M99-056 and M02-418 were prospective, randomized trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) capsules administered twice per day or once per day to subjects infected with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1). Plasma viral load was measured every 4 weeks (from baseline through week 24, excluding week 12 and week 20 in M02-418), every 8 weeks (from week 24 through week 48), and every 12 weeks (from week 48 through week 96). Blips were defined by 1 plasma viral load measurement of between 50-1000 copies/mL, immediately preceded and immediately followed by a measurement of <50 copies/mL. A medication event monitoring system was used to record the date and time subjects administered a dose of LPV/r.. Of 228 subject enrolled, event monitor data were available for 223 (98%) subjects (92 of whom received twice-daily LPV/r therapy, and 131 of whom received once-daily therapy). Viral load blips (median plasma viral load, 82 copies/mL [range, 51-858 copies/mL]) were identified in 60 (27%) of the subjects (21 in the LPV/r twice-daily group and 39 in the LPV/r once-daily group). Neither the baseline plasma viral load nor the CD4(+) T cell count were associated with blips. During the week prior to a blip, the mean number of days that the subject administered the prescribed number of doses was lower than the number during a matched period for the same subject during which a blip did not occur (5.55 vs. 6.22 days; P = .007). Blips were not associated with virologic failure or the development of drug resistance.. Blips were associated with decreased adherence, but not with virologic failure or development of drug resistance in these studies of LPV/r.. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00043966 .

Topics: Adult; Aged; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Viral; Female; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Lopinavir; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Pyrimidinones; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Treatment Refusal; Viral Load; Viremia

Treatment failure after preceding protease inhibitors (PI) is often due to resistance mutations. Our objective was to evaluate amprenavir (APV) in pre-treated patients and to correlate it with pre-existing mutations. - Fourty five patients were entered in an open label prospective study (6/99-12/2000). Pre-treatment was 6.2 years +/- 2.4 (2-11.3) and included a mean of 4.13 nucleosides (RTIs) and 2.73 PIs. Genotypic resistance testing was performed prior to the switch. APV dose was 1200 mg/d in combination with ritonavir (RTV) boosting (2 x 100mg) and 2 x 1200 mg/d in 6 patients without RTV. Co-medication was selected based on treatment history and results of genotypic testing. - The median duration of treatment at analysis was 34 weeks. Plasma viral load (VL) average at baseline was 4.6 log subset 10 +/- 08. After 24 weeks the mean VL reduction was 1.4 log subset 10 +/- 1.2 3.86-0.40s). A VL reduction of >1.5 log subset 10 was found in 16/45 patients (36%), 21/45 (47%) patients achieved a VL <400 cp/ml, and 12/45 (27%) a VL < 50 cp/ml. CD4 cells increased from a mean baseline of 208/microl +/- 185 to 318/microl +/- 253. Fourty percent (18/45) of patients had a CD4 gain of more than 100 cells/microl. Genotypic resistance determination showed PI mutations in 87% of patients tested. The average number of mutated codons was 4.54. Three of 4 patients with I84V mutation did not achieve an undetectable VL. - Our findings demonstrate that APV and APV/RTV plus two additional antiretrovirals has a good virological and immunological success rate in pre-treated patients. Presence of more than two APV resistance mutations was associated with treatment failure.

Topics: Anti-HIV Agents; Carbamates; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Drug Resistance, Viral; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Furans; Genotype; HIV; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Middle Aged; Mutation; Prospective Studies; Ritonavir; Sulfonamides; Treatment Outcome; Viral Load; Viremia

Low dose-ritonavir boosted protease inhibitors are increasingly being used for the first-line antiretroviral treatment, though their virological efficacy has just poorly been compared to alternative antiretroviral therapies. Here, we retrospectively investigated the virological responses of 316 protease inhibitor-naive HIV patients receiving highly active antiretroviral treatment based on a single (n = 256) or a ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (n = 60), both in the background of two nucleoside analogues. - By intent-to-treat analysis, a complete initial virological response was achieved in 71.8% of all patients in the single protease inhibitor group (indinavir: 76%, ritonavir: 67.5%, nelfinavir: 70.6%) and in 88.3% (p = 0.008) of patients treated with a boosted protease inhibitor (saquinavir/r: 71.4%, indinavir/r: 92.1%, lopinavir/r: 86.6%). The multivariate risk analysis identified boosted PI treatment as an independent predictor of a complete virological response (OR = 2.8, p=0.02). Viral rebound after an initial complete virological response was observed in 28% and 17% (p = 0.06) of patients receiving a single or a dual protease inhibitor, respectively. The rate of durable viral suppression over 12 months was 44.5% and 56.7% (p = 0.09) in the respective study cohorts. Ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitors therefore seem to induce a superior virological response rate and a higher degree of sustained virological suppression.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Anti-HIV Agents; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Outpatients; Retrospective Studies; Ritonavir; Treatment Outcome; Viral Load; Viremia

We evaluated the virological outcome of lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/RTV) in 224 HIV-1-infected and protease inhibitor (PI)-experienced patients showing virological failure to a highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimen and followed up for at least 3 months. At baseline, the median level of plasma viraemia was 4.61 log10 copies/ml (range 3-6.48) and the median CD4 cell count was 219 cells/mm3 (range 1-836). During a median follow-up of 272 days (range 92-635), we observed an increase in the number of CD4 cells (P=0.02) and a dramatic decrease in plasma viraemia levels (P=0.0001), which became undetectable in 122 patients (54.5%). The closely related predictive factors were baseline plasma viraemia levels and the number of mutations known to reduce susceptibility to LPV/RTV. Thirty-one patients (13.8%) discontinued LPV/RTV during the follow-up, and one AIDS event and three deaths were recorded. Of the 134 patients (59.8%) who underwent a baseline genotype resistance test, 22 (16.4%) had > or = 6 mutations known to reduce LPV/RTV susceptibility; plasma viraemia became undetectable in 76 patients (56.7%), only five of whom harboured > or = 6 mutations at baseline (P=0.0001). The independent predictive factors related to virological success were plasma viraemia levels and the number of mutations reducing susceptibility to LPV/RTV at baseline; each additional log10 copies/ml of HIV RNA reduced the probability of virological success by 34.0% and each extra mutation by 14.5%.

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Viral; Female; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Lopinavir; Male; Mutation; Proportional Hazards Models; Pyrimidinones; Ritonavir; Salvage Therapy; Viremia

To assess the effects of five-drug combination therapy on HIV-1 load in lymph nodes and subsequent maintenance with four and three drugs.. Ten pharmacotherapeutically naive patients received a combination of zidovudine, lamivudine, didanosine, ritonavir, and saquinavir for 24 weeks, then zidovudine, lamivudine, didanosine, and saquinavir for the next 24 weeks, and finally zidovudine, lamivudine, and saquinavir for the last 24 weeks. HIV-1 RNA in lymph nodes was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at baseline, after 12, 24, 48, and 78 weeks. Plasma HIV-1 RNA, proviral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), circulating lymphocyte subsets, and protease inhibitor levels in blood were also regularly measured. Genotypic resistance was assessed in the different compartments in 2 patients who were failed by therapy.. HIV-1 RNA decreased in lymph nodes in 9 patients and was stable in 1 despite initial control of plasma replication <20 copies/ml in each patient. Lymph node levels rebounded in 1 patient at week 72 as a result of lack of adherence and remained stable in the 8 others despite maintenance regimens. This represents a mean drop of -3.17 log in lymph nodes for the 8 patients maintaining undetectable viremia at 72 weeks. In the patient with stable lymph node viral RNA, selection of the M184V mutation was demonstrated at this level before detection in plasma and low blood saquinavir levels were found throughout the study. Continuous improvements in immune parameters were observed in all cases, although PBMC proviral DNA levels either showed a continuous decrease or stabilized to a plateau.. More complex regimens do not perform better in lymph nodes than classic triple therapy. The persistence of HIV-1 RNA in lymph nodes could be related with cellular resistance mechanisms rather than an insufficient potency of the regimens.

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Biopsy; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Didanosine; DNA, Viral; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; France; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Lamivudine; Lymph Nodes; Lymphocyte Subsets; Lymphocytes; Male; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Saquinavir; Time Factors; Viral Load; Viremia; Virus Replication

Twelve subjects were treated with zidovudine, lamivudine, and ritonavir within 90 days of onset of symptoms of acute infection to determine whether human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection could be eradicated from an infected host. In adherent subjects, with or without modifications due to intolerance, viral replication was suppressed during the 24-month treatment period. Durable suppression reduced levels of HIV-1-specific antibodies and cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses in selected subjects. Proviral DNA in mononuclear cells uniformly persisted. The persistence of HIV-1 RNA expression in lymphoid tissues and peripheral blood mononuclear cells suggests that elimination of this residual pool of virus should be achieved before considering adjustments in antiretroviral therapeutic regimens. In addition, given the reduction in levels of virus-specific immune responses, it would seem prudent to consider enhancing these responses using vaccine strategies prior to the withdrawal of antiviral therapy.

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Drug Therapy, Combination; HIV-1; Homosexuality, Male; Humans; Lamivudine; Male; Middle Aged; Pilot Projects; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic; Time Factors; Viremia; Virus Replication; Zidovudine

Combination antiretroviral therapy with ritonavir and saquinavir has established potent and durable activity on plasma viremia. CNS HIV infection may be sequestered from drug therapy that does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Penetration of these protease inhibitors into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and CSF HIV RNA levels on such therapy has not been well described.. In a cross-sectional study, 28 HIV1-infected study subjects were evaluated either before initiation of or before maximal response to ritonavir-saquinavir therapy, during maximal plasma virologic response, and after virologic failure. Simultaneous samples of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid were obtained from 24 study subjects to measure HIV RNA and protease inhibitor levels.. Across the treatment groups, a strong correlation was found between plasma and CSF HIV RNA levels (r = 0.870; p < .001). In each study subject with plasma HIV RNA levels below assay limit (80 copies/ml), the CSF HIV RNA level was also below the limit of quantitation. Low levels of saquinavir (<2 ng/ml) and ritonavir (<25 ng/ml) in the CSF were observed, with a CSF:plasma drug concentration ratio of < or = 0.005 (0.5%) in all study subjects evaluated (n = 11). The plasma:CSF HIV RNA ratio was high before or early in treatment (median, 38; interquartile range [IQR], 13,97), but low (median, 0.29; IQR, 0.17, 7.5) in those failing therapy (group C, p < .001).. CSF ritonavir and saquinavir levels are consistent with the estimated known fraction of unbound drug in plasma (<2%). Across these treatment response groups, suppression of plasma viremia can predict low CSF HIV RNA levels. This correlation may represent HIV RNA transport and equilibrium between CSF and plasma, or it may represent CNS anti-HIV activity of protease inhibitors. The low drug levels and inverted ratio of HIV RNA in the CSF compared with plasma early in plasma virologic breakthrough suggests CSF virologic failure may contribute to failure of plasma virologic response.

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Anti-HIV Agents; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug Therapy, Combination; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Patient Selection; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Saquinavir; Treatment Failure; Treatment Outcome; Viral Load; Viremia

Most current guidelines state that antiretroviral therapy should be considered for HIV-infected patients with plasma HIV RNA > 5000-10000 copies/ml and CD4 cells > 500 x 10(6) cells/l. However, there is increasing concern about whether this is the optimal point to begin treatment or whether it is better to delay the initiation to more advanced stages.. To study the immunological and virological benefits of starting antiretroviral therapy at these early stages.. A total of 161 HIV-infected asymptomatic patients with CD4 cell count > 500 x 10(6) cells/l and viral load > 10000 copies/ml were randomly assigned to one of five treatment groups: no treatment, twice daily zidovudine and thrice daily zalcitabine (ZDV-ddC), twice daily zidovudine and didanosine (ZDV-ddI), twice daily stavudine and didanosine (D4T-ddI), or a twice daily three-drug regimen with stavudine and lamivudine and ritonavir. The endpoints were progression to < 350 x 10(6) cells/l CD4 cells, to < 500 x 10(6) cells/l with either two Centers for Disease Control class B symptoms or an increase of viral load > 0.5 log10 copies/ml above baseline, or to AIDS or death. In various substudies, the lymphoid tissue and cerebrospinal fluid viral load, development of genotypic resistance, proliferative responses to mitogens and cytomegalovirus, and HIV-1 specific antigens and other immunophenotypic markers were also analysed.. Progression rates to study endpoints within 1 year were greater in the control group (31%) than in all groups receiving antiretroviral therapy pooled together (5%; estimated hazard ratio 7.41; 95% confidence interval 5.72-74.55; P < 0.001). The peak mean viral load decrease was greater in the three-drug group when compared with any of the three groups with a two-drug regimen (2.32, 1.65, 1.72 and 1.84, respectively; P < or = 0.001). At 1 year, viral load remained below 20 copies/ml in 30 out of 33 patients in the three-drug group (91%) and in only eight out of 94 patients (9%) in two-drug groups (P = 0.001). The peak mean increase in CD4 cells was also greater in the three-drug group than in the double treatment arms (259 versus 85, 144 and 145 x 10(6) cells/l, respectively; P = 0.001). By comparison, 36% of patients in the three-drug group regimen had to change the therapy as a result of adverse events. Substudies were performed in 60 patients recruited at two sites. Tonsillar tissue HIV RNA was measured in seven patients (two in the two-drug groups and five in the three-drug group) in whom plasma HIV RNA was < 20 copies/ml at 1 year. It was 15151 and 133333 copies/mg tissue in the two patients from the two-drug group, < 40 copies/mg tissue in four patients in the three-drug group, and 485 copies/mg in one patient in the three-drug group. At 1 year there was a mean increase of 4.21+/-2.94% in CD8+CD38+ cells in the control group and a decrease of 9.48+/-3.36% in the two-drug groups (P = 0.01), and 19.87+/-3.64 in the three-drug group (P = 0.001 and P = 0.05, for comparisons with control group and two-drug groups, respectively). Although proliferative responses to cytomegalovirus antigens were significantly greater in those receiving antiretroviral therapy, response to HIV-1 p24 antigen was not detected in any patient in either treatment group.. This study supports the recommendation to start antiretroviral therapy with a three-drug combination during very early stages of HIV-1 disease, at least if viral load is above a cut-off point (10000 copies/ml in our study). The risk of progression was sevenfold higher in non-treated patients at 8 months of follow-up. Some immune system parameters improved toward normal values after 1 year of antiretroviral therapy, but the proliferative response of CD4 T lymphocytes against the p24 HIV-1 antigen was not recovered. Therapeutic approaches with more potent, better-tolerated and more convenient regimens will increasingly favour early intervention with antiretroviral t

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-CD8 Ratio; Didanosine; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Lamivudine; Male; Palatine Tonsil; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Spain; Stavudine; Viremia; Zalcitabine; Zidovudine

The impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitors on hepatitis C (HCV) viremia was assessed in 19 patients infected with both HIV and HCV. HIV and HCV RNA levels were measured before and during treatment with protease inhibitors. Before treatment, mean levels of HCV RNA were 5.3 log for HCV RNA and 5.0 log for HIV RNA. CD4 lymphocyte counts were 63/mm3. After 6 weeks of treatment, a mean reduction of 2.1 log10 in HIV RNA (P < .001) and a mean (+/-SE) increase of 73 (+/-21) CD4 and 296 (+/-70) CD8 cells were observed (P < .05). In contrast, both HCV viremia (+0.4 log +/- 0.1) and alanine aminotransferase increased (P < .04). HCV RNA levels returned to baseline after 17 and 32 weeks of treatment. Thus, potent anti-HIV regimens with protease inhibitors may temporarily worsen HCV status despite improvement of HIV parameters.

Topics: Anti-HIV Agents; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Hepatitis C; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Indinavir; Male; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Ritonavir; Saquinavir; Viremia

Plasma human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) populations were genetically analyzed at their most variable locus, the envelope gene, during the rapid emergence of resistance to protease inhibitor monotherapy. Plasma virus populations remained genetically constant prior to drug treatment and during the 1 to 2 weeks following initiation of therapy, while viremia fell 10- to 100-fold. Concomitant with rapid plasma viremia rebounds associated with the emergence of drug-resistant virus, marked alterations were then detected at the env locus. Plasma population changes lasted only a few weeks before the reappearance of the pretreatment envelope variants. The emergence of resistance to single protease inhibitors was therefore associated with major but transient changes at a nonselected locus. Selection for resistance to single protease inhibitors thus appears to be more complex than the continued replication of a large, random, and therefore genetically representative sampling of the pretreatment plasma population. The possibility that drug-privileged anatomical sites containing distinct envelope variants and/or a small effective HIV-1 population size account for these results is discussed.

Topics: Drug Resistance, Microbial; Genes, env; Genetic Variation; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Nelfinavir; Ritonavir; Viremia

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) increases CD4(+) cell numbers, but its ability to correct the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-induced immune deficiency remains unknown. A three-phase T cell reconstitution was demonstrated after HAART, with: (i) an early rise of memory CD4(+) cells, (ii) a reduction in T cell activation correlated to the decreasing retroviral activity together with an improved CD4(+) T cell reactivity to recall antigens, and (iii) a late rise of "naïve" CD4(+) lymphocytes while CD8(+) T cells declined, however, without complete normalization of these parameters. Thus, decreasing the HIV load can reverse HIV-driven activation and CD4(+) T cell defects in advanced HIV-infected patients.

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Antigens, Viral; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Drug Therapy, Combination; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Homeostasis; Humans; Immunologic Memory; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Count; Middle Aged; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; Tuberculin; Viral Load; Viremia; Zalcitabine; Zidovudine

To assess the safety, efficacy and plasma drug levels of the combination of ritonavir plus saquinavir for the treatment of advanced HIV infection.. Multicentre pilot study.. Eighteen protease inhibitor-naive patients, with intolerance or contraindication to reverse transcriptase inhibitors, a median CD4 cell count of 12 x 10(6)/l (range, 1-50 x 10(6)/l), and a median HIV viraemia of 5.25 log10 copies/ml (range, 4.00-6.13 log10 copies/ml).. Patients received 600 mg twice daily of both ritonavir and saquinavir. Viraemia was measured at baseline and at weeks 5, 9 and 13. Response was defined as a drop of viraemia of more than 1 log10 at week 5. Plasma drug levels were determined after at least 3 weeks of combined treatment: samples were collected before and 1, 2, and 4 h after the morning ingestion of both drugs. The protease gene was sequenced at baseline and under treatment.. Among the 16 patients evaluable at week 5, 11 were responders, and among these patients, six remained responders at week 13 (two with undetectable viraemia). Study discontinuations were due to side-effects (n = 4), patient choice (n = 3), protocol violation (n = 1) and death (n = 1). Responders had higher drug levels than non-responders (P < 0.01 for saquinavir, P = 0.04 for ritonavir). In two non-responders, development of multiple new mutations at positions 10, 20, 48, 82, 84 and 90 was observed after 5-13 weeks.. The response to ritonavir plus saquinavir in advanced HIV infection is unpredictable. A minority of patients respond with disappearance of HIV viraemia. In other patients, rapid cumulative emergence of protease mutations conferring resistance to treatment cannot always be prevented by good compliance and relatively high plasma drug levels.

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Anti-HIV Agents; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-CD8 Ratio; Cohort Studies; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV Protease; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Male; Mutation; Pilot Projects; Ritonavir; Saquinavir; Viremia

Effects of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 protease inhibitor, ritonavir, were evaluated in 21 patients enrolled in a phase I/II study. The magnitude and rates of CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte increase, changes in subsets of CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes, and proliferative responses to mitogen and antigens were analyzed. Significant increases were noted in CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte counts; numbers of CD4CD45RO lymphocytes increased significantly by week 1 of therapy. Increases in the CD4CD45RA subset were observed at week 4. Reductions in the percentage of CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes expressing CD38 were noted. Increases in proliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin were noted in 6 of 7 patients and correlated with duration of virus load suppression. Increased responses to recall antigens and to HIV-specific proteins were observed. Treatment with ritonavir produced alterations in the immune system that included changes in T cell subset distribution and increases in CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte numbers and of lymphocyte function.

Topics: ADP-ribosyl Cyclase; ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1; Antigens, CD; Antigens, Differentiation; Antiviral Agents; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-CD8 Ratio; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Double-Blind Method; HIV Infections; HIV Protease; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Immune System; Leukocyte Common Antigens; Lymphocyte Activation; Membrane Glycoproteins; N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 1; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Thiazoles; Valine; Viremia

Access to viral load measurements is constrained in resource-limited settings. A lateral flow urine tenofovir (TFV) rapid assay (UTRA) for patients whose regimens include TFV offers an affordable approach to frequent adherence monitoring.. We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients to assess the utility of UTRA to predict virologic failure, defined as a viral load greater than 400 copies/ml.. We assessed urine TFV among 113 participants at increased risk of viral failure (who had previous viral failure on this regimen or had previously been ≥30 days out of care), comparing low genetic-barrier efavirenz (EFV) regimens (n = 60) to dolutegravir (DTG)-boosted or ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (PI/r)-based high genetic-barrier regimens (n = 53). Dried blood spots (DBS) for TFV-diphosphate and plasma for TFV concentrations were collected, with drug resistance assessed if viral failure present.. Among 113 participants, 17 of 53 received DTG or PI/r had viral failure at the cross-sectional visit, with 11 (64.7%) demonstrating an undetectable urine TFV; the negative-predictive value (NPV) of undetectable UTRA for viral failure was 85% (34/40); none of the 16 sequenced had dual class drug resistance. In those treated with EFV regimens the sensitivity was lower, as only 1 (4.8%) of 21 with viral failure had an undetectable UTRA (P < 0.001).. Urine tenofovir-testing had a high negative-predictive value for viral failure in patients treated with DTG or ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor regimens, where viral failure was largely explained by poor drug adherence. Frequent monitoring with inexpensive lateral flow urine TFV testing should be investigated prospectively in between viral load visits to improve viral load suppression on DTG-based first-line therapy in resource-limited settings.

Topics: Anti-HIV Agents; Cross-Sectional Studies; HIV Infections; Humans; Protease Inhibitors; Ritonavir; Tenofovir; Viral Load; Viremia

Topics: Anilides; Antiviral Agents; Carbamates; Coinfection; Cyclopropanes; Drug Therapy, Combination; Guanine; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B, Chronic; Hepatitis C, Chronic; Humans; Lactams, Macrocyclic; Macrocyclic Compounds; Male; Middle Aged; Proline; Protease Inhibitors; Ribavirin; Ritonavir; Sulfonamides; Valine; Viral Load; Viral Nonstructural Proteins; Viremia; Virus Activation

Characterize failure and resistance above and below guidelines-recommended 1000 copies/ml virologic threshold, upon second-line failure.. Cross-sectional study.. Kenyan adults on lopinavir/ritonavir-based second-line were enrolled at AMPATH (Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare). Charts were reviewed for demographic/clinical characteristics and CD4/viral load were obtained. Participants with detectable viral load had a second visit and pol genotyping was attempted in both visits. Accumulated resistance was defined as mutations in the second, not the first visit. Low-level viremia (LLV) was detectable viral load less than 1000 copies/ml. Failure and resistance associations were evaluated using logistic and Poisson regression, Fisher Exact and t-tests.. Of 394 participants (median age 42, 60% women, median 1.9 years on second-line) 48% had detectable viral load; 21% had viral load more than 1000 copies/ml, associated with younger age, tuberculosis treatment, shorter time on second-line, lower CD4count/percentage, longer first-line treatment interruption and pregnancy. In 105 sequences from the first visit (35 with LLV), 79% had resistance (57% dual-class, 7% triple-class; 46% with intermediate-to-high-level resistance to ≥1 future drug option). LLV was associated with more overall and NRTI-associated mutations and with predicted resistance to more next-regimen drugs. In 48 second-visit sequences (after median 55 days; IQR 28-33), 40% accumulated resistance and LLV was associated with more mutation accumulation.. High resistance upon second-line failure exists at levels above and below guideline-recommended virologic-failure threshold, impacting future treatment options. Optimization of care should include increased viral load monitoring, resistance testing and third-line ART access, and consideration of lowering the virologic failure threshold, though this demands further investigation.

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug Resistance, Viral; Female; Genotype; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Kenya; Lopinavir; Male; Middle Aged; pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; Ritonavir; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Treatment Failure; Viral Load; Viremia

The most-used protease-inhibitor in children is Lopinavir-ritonavir (LPV/r), which provides durable suppression of viral load and increases CD4+T-counts. This study describes the virological outcome of the HIV-1-infected paediatric population exposed to LPV/r during 15 years in Spain.. Patients from the Madrid Cohort of HIV-1-infected-children and adolescents exposed to LPV/r as different line therapy during 2000-2014 were selected. The baseline epidemiological-clinical features, viral suppression, changes in CD4+T-CD8+T cell counts and drug susceptibility were recorded before and during LPV/r exposure. Drug resistance mutations (DRM) were identified in viruses from samples collected until 2011. We predicted drug susceptibility to 19 antiretrovirals among those carrying DRM using the Stanford's HIVdb Algorithm.. A total of 199 (37.3%) of the 534 patients from the cohort were exposed to LPV/r during 2000-2014 in first (group 1), second (group 2) or more line-therapies (group 3). Patients were mainly Spaniards (81.9%), perinatally infected (96.5%) with subtype-B (65.3%) and HIV-diagnosed before year 2000 (67.8%). The mean age at first LPV/r exposure was 9.7 years. After protease-inhibitor exposure, viral suppression was higher in groups 1 and 2 than in group 3. Viral suppression occurred in 87.5%, 68.6% and 64.8% patients from groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Among the 64 patients with available resistance data during LPV/r treatment, 27(42.3%) carried DRM to protease-inhibitor, 28 (58.3%) to reverse-transcriptase-inhibitors and 21 (43.7%) to non-reverse-transcriptase-inhibitors. Darunavir/ritonavir, atazanavir-ritonavir and tipranavir/ritonavir presented the highest susceptibility and nelfinavir the lowest.. A better lymphocyte recovering occurred when protease-inhibitor was taken as part of a first-line regimen and a higher number of patients reached viral suppression. The least compromised antiretrovirals for rescue antiretroviral regimens, according to DRM in the LPV/r-exposed-paediatric cohort, were mainly the new protease inhibitors.

Topics: Adolescent; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-CD8 Ratio; Child; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Drug Combinations; Drug Resistance, Viral; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Lopinavir; Male; Mutation; Ritonavir; Spain; Treatment Outcome; Viral Load; Viremia

An observational, prospective, cohort study was performed to compare efficacy and safety of a switch from ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (PI/r) to nevirapine or raltegravir with that of rosuvastatin addition to current antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients with hyperlipidaemia.. All HIV-infected patients receiving a stable PI/r-based antiretroviral regimen, with persistently suppressed viremia, naïve to non-nucleoside analogues and to integrase strand transfer inhibitors, with mixed hyperlipidaemia, and who underwent a switch from PI/r to nevirapine (Group A) or raltegravir (Group B) or who started rosuvastatin at 10 mg daily (group C) with unchanged antiretroviral regimen were enrolled into the study.. Overall, 136 patients were enrolled: 43 patients were included in the group A, 46 in the group B, and 47 in the group C. The mean age was 46.6 years, and 108 (79.4%) were males. After 48 weeks of follow-up, a significantly greater reduction in the mean low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level was reported in group C (-28.2%) than in group A (-10.2%; p < .001) and B (-12.4%; p = .021), while a significantly greater reduction in the mean concentration of triglycerides was observed in group A (-31.2%) and B (-35.5%) than in group C (-11.9%; p = .034 and p = .004, respectively). The incidence of adverse events was <10% and comparable across the three groups.. In HIV-positive subjects receiving a PI/r, the initiation of rosuvastatin treatment after 48 weeks yielded a greater decline in LDL cholesterol, while the switch from PI/r to nevirapine or raltegravir led to a greater decline in triglycerides.

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Anticholesteremic Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Cholesterol, LDL; Cohort Studies; Drug Substitution; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Integrase Inhibitors; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Hyperlipidemias; Male; Middle Aged; Nevirapine; Prospective Studies; Raltegravir Potassium; Ritonavir; Rosuvastatin Calcium; Viral Load; Viremia

The primary objective of this study was to estimate the incidence of treatment failure (TF) to protease inhibitor monotherapies (PI/r-MT) with lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) or darunavir/ritonavir (DRV/r).. A multicenter cohort of HIV-infected patients with viral load (VL) ≤50 copies/mL, who underwent a switch from any triple combination therapy to PI/r-MT with either LPV/r or DRV/r.. VL was assessed in each center according to local procedures. Residual viremia was defined by any HIV-RNA value detectable below 50 copies/mL by a Real-Time PCR method. Standard survival analysis was used to estimate the rate of TF (defined by virological failure or interruption of monotherapy or reintroduction of combination therapy). A multivariable Cox regression analysis with automatic stepwise procedures was used to identify factors independently associated with TF among nadir and baseline CD4+ counts, residual viremia, time spent with <50 HIV-RNA copies/mL before switch, history of virological failure, HCV co-infection, being on a PI/r and hemoglobin concentrations at baseline.. Six hundred ninety patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in this analysis. Their median follow-up was 20 (10-37) months. By month 36, TF occurred in 176 (30.2%; 95% CI:25.9-34.5) patients. Only CD4+ nadir counts (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 2.03 [95% CI: 1.35, 3.07] for counts ≤100 vs. >100 cells/μL) and residual viremia (aHR = 1.48 [95% CI: 1.01-2.17] vs. undetectable VL) were independently associated to TF.. Residual viremia and nadir CD4+ counts <100 cells/μL should be regarded as the main factors to be taken into account before considering switching to a PI/r-MT.

Topics: Adult; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Cohort Studies; Darunavir; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Lopinavir; Male; Middle Aged; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Proportional Hazards Models; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Viral Load; Viremia; Young Adult

To evaluate the role of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug-resistant-protein 1 (MRP1) on raltegravir intracellular drug disposition in CD4+ T cells, investigate the effect of HIV-1 infection on P-gp expression and correlate HIV-1 viraemia with P-gp activity in primary CD4+ T cell subsets.. The cellular accumulation ratio of [(3)H]raltegravir was quantified in CD4+ T cell lines overexpressing either P-gp (CEM-P-gp) or MRP1 (CEM-MRP1) and in primary CD3+CD4+ T cells with high (P-gp(high)) and low P-gp activity (P-gp(low)); inhibition of efflux transporters was confirmed by the intracellular retention of calcein-AM. The correlation of P-gp activity with HIV-1 viraemia was assessed in naive and memory T cell subsets from 21 HIV-1-infected treatment-naive subjects.. [(3)H]Raltegravir cellular accumulation ratio decreased in CEM-P-gp cells (P < 0.0001). XR9051 (a P-gp inhibitor) and HIV-1 PIs reversed this phenomenon. Primary CD4+P-gp(high) cells accumulated less raltegravir (38.4% ± 9.6%) than P-gp(low) cells, whereas XR9051 also reversed this effect. In vitro HIV-1 infection of PBMCs and stimulation of CD4+ T cells increased P-gp mRNA and P-gp activity, respectively, while primary CD4+P-gp(high) T cells sustained a higher HIV-1 replication than P-gp(low) cells. A significant correlation between HIV-1 viraemia and P-gp activity was found in different CD4+ T cell subsets, particularly memory CD4+ T cells (r = 0.792, P < 0.0001).. Raltegravir is a substrate of P-gp in CD4+ T cells. Primary CD4+P-gp(high) T cells eliminate intracellular raltegravir more readily than P-gp(low) cells and HIV-1 viraemia correlates with P-gp overall activity. Specific CD4+P-gp(high) T cell subsets could facilitate the persistence of viral replication in vivo and ultimately promote the appearance of drug resistance.

Topics: Anti-HIV Agents; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B; Benzylidene Compounds; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Cell Line; Cells, Cultured; Fluoresceins; Healthy Volunteers; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Immunologic Memory; Raltegravir Potassium; Ritonavir; Tetrahydroisoquinolines; Viral Load; Viremia; Virus Replication

Persistent low-level viraemia (LLV) during the treatment of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with emergent drug resistance mutation (DRM); however, insight into its driver is limited. The objectives were to study HIV-1 pol sequence evolution in subjects with persistent LLV and evaluate factors associated with sequence changes.. HIV-1 pol sequences from 54 treatment-naive subjects undergoing first-line lopinavir/ritonavir- or efavirenz-containing ART were obtained at pre-ART and end of LLV. HIV-1 sequence evolution was evaluated using phylogenetic analysis and Hamming distance calculation. DRMs were interpreted based on the International AIDS Society-USA 2011 update.. Subjects with new DRM during LLV had greater HIV-1 evolution across pol from the pre-ART to end of LLV compared with subjects without DRM. Evolution over non-DRM sites was similar between groups. Higher degree of genetic evolution was positively associated with higher HIV-1 RNA levels during LLV, both at DRM and non-DRM sites.. The magnitude of LLV was the primary driver of evolution rate at DRM as well as non-DRM sites. Higher viral load was associated with DRM emergence in these subjects. These findings provide insights that may be applicable to the management of patients with persistent LLV during ART.

Topics: Adult; Alkynes; Anti-HIV Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Benzoxazines; Cyclopropanes; Drug Resistance, Viral; Evolution, Molecular; Female; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Lopinavir; Male; Middle Aged; Mutation; Phylogeny; pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; Retrospective Studies; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Viral Load; Viremia

We assessed the association of persistent low-level viraemia between 50-199 copies/ml (LLV) with the risk of virological failure (VF) among HIV-1-infected patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy (ART).. ART-naive and ART-experienced patients followed up in the ANRS-CO3 Aquitaine Cohort were included if they started two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) with either one non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) or one protease inhibitor boosted with ritonavir (PI/r) between 2000 and 2011 and achieved viral load (VL)<200 copies/ml 4-8 months after initiating ART. VF was defined as either two consecutive VL≥200 copies/ml or one VL≥200 followed by a modification of ART. LLV was defined as at least two consecutive VLs between 50-199 copies/ml for at least one month. We used Cox models to estimate the association of LLV with VF.. Among 2,374 patients with a median follow-up of 3 years, 205 (8.6%) experienced LLV. LLV was strongly associated with further VF (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.30, 95% CI 1.65, 3.20). LLV was associated with VF in ART-experienced patients (aHR 3.02, 95% CI 2.10, 4.33) but not in ART-naive patients. Neither type of ART regimen (PI/r- versus NNRTI-based regimen) nor cumulative duration of LLV was associated with VF.. Persistent LLV between 50-199 copies/ml was associated with VF among ART-experienced patients under ART. LLV between 50-199 copies/ml in ART-experienced patients should lead, after assessing patient's adherence and checking for drug interactions, to a closer monitoring and to consider ART optimization.

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; DNA, Viral; Female; Follow-Up Studies; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Risk; Ritonavir; Treatment Failure; Viral Load; Viremia

Increased levels of markers of systemic inflammation have been associated with serious non-AIDS events even in patients on fully suppressive antiretroviral therapy. We explored residual viremia and systemic inflammation markers in patients effectively treated with ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor monotherapy (PImono).. HIV-infected adults with persistent HIV-RNA<50 copies/ml and treated with either a) PImono or b) standard triple-drug cART were recruited for this cross-sectional, exploratory study. Plasma samples were tested for high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP), Serum Amyloid A (SAA), soluble CD14, IL-6, IL-8 and Cytochrome C. HIV-RNA was measured by real-time PCR (detection limit of 10 copies/ml).. 81 patients were recruited (31% on PImono). Two out of 25 (8%) and 3 of 56 (5.4%) patients from the PImono and cART groups respectively had detectable HIV-RNA. Significant correlation between SAA and hsCRP was observed (0.804). No difference between groups was found on prevalence of hsCRP>3 mg/l (21% vs 20% in the PImono and cART groups respectively; p=0.577) or SAA>6.4 mg/l (38% vs 22% in the PImono and cART groups respectively; P=0.172). In a univariate analysis IL6 and IL8 levels were associated with SAA>6.4 mg/l (OR=1.74 and 1.46; 95% CI=1.00-3.03 and 1.06-2.01; p=0.051 and 0.02 respectively) and hsCRP>3 mg/l in (OR=2.00 and 1.37; 95% CI=1.09-3.69 and 1.02-1.85; p=0.026 and 0.039 respectively).. We found no evidence of increased levels of inflammatory biomarkers or higher prevalence of residual viraemia in patients effectively suppressed on PImono as compared with patients on standard cART.

Topics: Adult; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin-6; Interleukin-8; Male; Middle Aged; Protease Inhibitors; Ritonavir; Serum Amyloid A Protein; Viremia

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the evolution of microbial translocation (MT) and its role in CD4 and CD8 T cells immune activation (IA) in HIV-1-infected patients on ritonavir-boosted darunavir monotherapy (mtDRV/rtv).Prospective study of consecutive HIV-1-infected patients switched to mtDRV/rtv as a simplification regimen. Subjects were classified according to the virological behavior during a 24-month follow-up as continuous undetectable viral load, blips, intermittent viremia, and virological failure (VF). MT was evaluated by plasma LPS and 16S genomic rDNA (16S rDNA) levels, whereas IA was assessed by the coexpression of HLA-DR and CD38 in CD4 and CD8 T cells, and plasma sCD14 levels.Seventy-one patients were included in this substudy of the MonDar cohort (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01505722). At baseline, CD4 (ρ = -0.352, P = 0.01) and CD8 T-cell activation (ρ = -0.468, P < 0.001) were correlated with time with viral suppression, but not with MT markers. A significant decrease in plasma LPS levels was found only in patients without VF (baseline, 77.8 vs month 24, 60.4 pg/mL; P < 0.001]. Both plasma 16S rDNA and sCD14 levels were unchanged irrespective of the viral behavior. The only variable independently associated with a decrease in CD4 and CD8 T cells activation was an undetectable HIV-1 viremia (β = 4.78, P < 0.001 and β = 2.93, P = 0.005, respectively).MT does not have a pivotal role in T-cell activation, at least in patients with long-term viral suppression. The viremic episodes and VF are the main factors related to CD4 and CD8 T-cells IA, even during mtDRV/rtv.

Topics: Adult; Bacterial Translocation; Biomarkers; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Darunavir; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Ritonavir; Sulfonamides; Viral Load; Viremia

The lack of antiretroviral (ARV) backbone activity associated with raltegravir has been proposed as the main explanation for virological relapse observed in patients with undetectable viraemia who are switched from a ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (PI) to raltegravir. However ARV activity remains difficult to assess in this context. The aim of our study was to precisely assess the ARV backbone activity in patients with undetectable viraemia who underwent raltegravir switching strategies and to evaluate the efficacy of such switching strategies based on the genotypic sensitivity score (GSS).. Patients with a plasma human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA level of <50 copies/mL on a stable two ARV-class regimen were enrolled if they switched one of their ARV drugs to raltegravir 400 mg twice daily. The GSS was calculated using a genotyping test performed on the HIV-1 RNA of the last plasma measurement with a HIV-1 RNA level of >50 copies/mL before the switch and on the results of all previous genotyping tests. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with a plasma HIV-1 RNA level of <50 copies/mL at week 24.. Fifty-six patients were enrolled in this study. The proportion of patients with a plasma HIV-1 RNA level of <50 copies/mL at week 24 was 92.9 % (range 83.0-97.2 %) in the intent-to-treat analysis and 98.1 % (90.0-99.7 %) in per-protocol analysis. When the backbone was fully active, the proportion was 100.0 % (86.7-100.0 %) at week 24 and week 48 in the per-protocol analysis. We observed a decrease in plasma total cholesterol and triglycerides of -12.7 % (p = 0.005) and -26.5 % (p = 0.001), respectively.. Raltegravir switching strategies are effective when the associated backbone is fully active according to the GSS. In the context of undetectable viraemia, where ARV activity remains difficult to assess, the determination of the GSS requires the entire ARV history of the patient and all previous HIV-RNA genotyping test results.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Drug Resistance, Viral; Female; France; Genotype; HIV; HIV Infections; HIV Integrase Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Pyrrolidinones; Raltegravir Potassium; Ritonavir; Viremia

To assess the impact of blips and persistent viremia episodes on cell-associated HIV-DNA reservoir in extensively pretreated patients receiving ritonavir-boosted darunavir monotherapy (MtDRV/rtv) for 24 months.. Patients from the MonDAR prospective study (NCT01606722) who received at least 6 months of MtDRV/rtv and had at least two available peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) samples were selected and classified according to the viral outcome as continuous undetectable viremia (cUV; n = 40), blips (n = 31), intermittent viremia (IV; n = 23), and virological failure (VF, two consecutive viral loads >200 copies/ml; n = 20). Proviral HIV-DNA was quantified by real-time PCR in PBMCs samples at baseline, and months 6, 12, 18 and 24. Additionally, HIV-DNA levels were exhaustively analyzed at virological failure and blip episodes.. The HIV-DNA levels remained constant during the 24 months in every group. Neither blips nor intermittent viremia influenced the HIV-DNA levels at short-term or at middle term. By contrast, virological failure episodes gave rise to a significant increase in proviral DNA (2.15 vs. 2.32 log10 HIV-DNA copies/10 PBMCs; P = 0.042). Basal proviral DNA levels more than 2 log10 copies/10 PBMCs predicted the time to viral rebound at any given cut-off point (>20, >50, and >200 copies/ml. HR: 3.02, 2.61, and 3.02, respectively; P ≤ 0.03. Besides, an adherence less than 95% was also strongly associated with virological failure (HR, 3.17; P = 0.021).. Blip episodes and intermittent viremia did not affect the cellular HIV reservoir dynamic during MtDRV/rtv. Higher adherence and an HIV-DNA levels less than 2 log10 copies/10 PBMCs at baseline were associated with a lower risk of virological failure.

Topics: Adult; Cohort Studies; Darunavir; DNA, Viral; Female; HIV; HIV Infections; Humans; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Proviruses; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Ritonavir; Sulfonamides; Viral Load; Viremia

Viral reservoirs-persistent residual virus despite combination antiretroviral therapy (cART)-remain an obstacle to cure of HIV-1 infection. Difficulty studying reservoirs in patients underscores the need for animal models that mimics HIV infected humans on cART. We studied SIV-infected Chinese-origin rhesus macaques (Ch-RM) treated with intensive combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and 3 weeks of treatment with the histone deacetyalse inhibitor, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA).. SIVmac251 infected Ch-RM received reverse transcriptase inhibitors PMPA and FTC and integrase inhibitor L-870812 beginning 7 weeks post infection. Integrase inhibitor L-900564 and boosted protease inhibitor treatment with Darunavir and Ritonavir were added later. cART was continued for 45 weeks, with daily SAHA administered for the last 3 weeks, followed by euthanasia/necropsy. Plasma viral RNA and cell/tissue-associated SIV gag RNA and DNA were quantified by qRT-PCR/qPCR, with flow cytometry monitoring changes in immune cell populations.. Upon cART initiation, plasma viremia declined, remaining <30 SIV RNA copy Eq/ml during cART, with occasional blips. Decreased viral replication was associated with decreased immune activation and partial restoration of intestinal CD4+ T cells. SAHA was well tolerated but did not result in demonstrable treatment-associated changes in plasma or cell associated viral parameters.. The ability to achieve and sustain virological suppression makes cART-suppressed, SIV-infected Ch-RM a potentially useful model to evaluate interventions targeting residual virus. However, despite intensive cART over one year, persistent viral DNA and RNA remained in tissues of all three animals. While well tolerated, three weeks of SAHA treatment did not demonstrably impact viral RNA levels in plasma or tissues; perhaps reflecting dosing, sampling and assay limitations.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Retroviral Agents; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Darunavir; DNA, Viral; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; Hydroxamic Acids; Macaca mulatta; Naphthyridines; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Simian Immunodeficiency Virus; Sulfonamides; Viremia; Virus Replication; Vorinostat

A 57-year-old man presented with subacute progression of cognitive impairment (MMSE 22/30). He had been diagnosed as AIDS two years before and taking atazanavir, abacavir, and lamivudine. HIV RNA of plasma had been negative. On admission, HIV RNA was 4,700 copy/ml and 5,200 copy/ml in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid respectively, suggesting treatment failure of cART. The brain magnetic resonance imaging showed high intensity areas in the white matter of the both frontal lobes and brain stem. The drug-resistance test revealed the resistance of lamivudine and abacavir. We introduced the CNS penetration effectiveness (CPE) score to evaluate the drug penetration of HIV drugs. As the former regimen had low points (7 points), we optimized the regimen to raltegravir, zidovudine, and darunavir/ritonavir (scoring 10 points). His cognitive function improved as normal (MMSE 30/30) in 2 weeks and HIV-RNA became undetectable both in plasma and CSF in a month. In spite of the cognitive improvement, the white matter hyperintensity expanded. To rule out malignant lymphoma or glioblastoma, the brain biopsy was performed from the right frontal lobe. It revealed microglial hyperplasia and diffuse perivascular infiltration by CD8+/CD4-lymphocytes. No malignant cells were found and the polymerase chain reaction analyses excluded other viruses. Considering the drug penetration to the central nervous system is important for treating HIV encephalopathy.

Topics: AIDS Dementia Complex; Anti-Retroviral Agents; Central Nervous System; Cognition Disorders; Darunavir; Disease Progression; Drug Resistance, Viral; Drug Substitution; HIV; HIV Infections; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pyrrolidinones; Raltegravir Potassium; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Sulfonamides; Time Factors; Viremia; Zidovudine

Serological, molecular and phylogenetic analyses of a recently imported case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Greece are reported. Although MERS-CoV remained detectable in the respiratory tract secretions of the patient until the fourth week of illness, viraemia was last detected 2 days after initiation of triple combination therapy with pegylated interferon, ribavirin and lopinavir/ritonavir, administered from Day 13 of illness. Phylogenetic analysis of the virus showed close similarity with other human MERS-CoVs from the recent Jeddah outbreak in Saudi Arabia. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) titres peaked 3 weeks after the onset of illness, whilst IgM levels remained constantly elevated during the follow-up period (second to fifth week of illness). Serological testing confirmed by virus neutralisation assay detected an additional case that was a close contact of the patient.

Topics: Antiviral Agents; Coronavirus Infections; Drug Combinations; Drug Therapy, Combination; Greece; Humans; Lopinavir; Male; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; Phylogeny; Respiratory Tract Infections; Ribavirin; Ritonavir; Viremia; Virus Shedding

HIV-1 infections cannot be completely eradicated by drug therapy, as the virus persists in reservoirs. Low-level plasma viremia has been detected in patients treated for over 7 years, but the cellular compartments that support this low-level viremia have not been identified. The decay of HIV-1 during treatment appears to occur in four phases, with the 3rd and 4th phases occurring when the virus is below the limit of detection of conventional assays. Here, we focus on the 3rd phase of decay, which has been estimated to have a half-life of 39 months. We show that follicular dendritic cells (FDC), which have been identified as an HIV reservoir, can be the main source of the low-level viremia detected during the 3rd phase of decay and contribute to viremia at even longer times. Our calculations show that the kinetics of leakage of virus from FDC is consistent with three types of available clinical data.

Topics: Dendritic Cells, Follicular; Drug Combinations; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Kinetics; Lamivudine; Lopinavir; Models, Biological; Ritonavir; Stavudine; Viral Load; Viremia; Virus Release

Stably suppressed viremia during ART is essential for establishing reliable simian models for HIV/AIDS. We tested the efficacy of a multidrug ART (highly intensified ART) in a wide range of viremic conditions (10³-10⁷) viral RNA copies/mL) in SIVmac251-infected rhesus macaques, and its impact on the viral reservoir. Eleven macaques in the pre-AIDS stage of the disease were treated with a multidrug combination (highly intensified ART) consisting of two nucleosidic/nucleotidic reverse transcriptase inhibitors (emtricitabine and tenofovir), an integrase inhibitor (raltegravir), a protease inhibitor (ritonavir-boosted darunavir) and the CCR5 blocker maraviroc. All animals stably displayed viral loads below the limit of detection of the assay (i.e. <40 RNA copies/mL) after starting highly intensified ART. By increasing the sensitivity of the assay to 3 RNA copies/mL, viral load was still below the limit of detection in all subjects tested. Importantly, viral DNA resulted below the assay detection limit (<2 copies of DNA/5*10⁵ cells) in PBMCs and rectal biopsies of all animals at the end of the follow-up, and in lymph node biopsies from the majority of the study subjects. Moreover, highly intensified ART decreased central/transitional memory, effector memory and activated (HLA-DR⁺) effector memory CD4⁺ T-cells in vivo, in line with the role of these subsets as the main cell subpopulations harbouring the virus. Finally, treatment with highly intensified ART at viral load rebound following suspension of a previous anti-reservoir therapy eventually improved the spontaneous containment of viral load following suspension of the second therapeutic cycle, thus leading to a persistent suppression of viremia in the absence of ART. In conclusion, we show, for the first time, complete suppression of viral load by highly intensified ART and a likely associated restriction of the viral reservoir in the macaque AIDS model, making it a useful platform for testing potential cures for AIDS.

Topics: Adenine; Animals; Anti-HIV Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Cyclohexanes; Darunavir; Deoxycytidine; Drug Therapy, Combination; Emtricitabine; Flow Cytometry; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Macaca mulatta; Maraviroc; Organophosphonates; Pyrrolidinones; Raltegravir Potassium; Ritonavir; Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Sulfonamides; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; Tenofovir; Triazoles; Viral Load; Viremia

The protease inhibitor atazanavir (ATV) can be used either boosted by ritonavir (ATV300/r) or unboosted (ATV400). To date, however, genotypic resistance scores (GRSs) have been developed only for boosted-ATV. We have determined GRS associated with virologic response (VR) for both ATV300/r and ATV400 in highly pre-treated HIV-1 infected patients.. We analyzed the results of genotypic tests available 0-3 months before the initiation of an ATV-containing regimen in 159 patients with HIV-RNA >or= 500 copies/ml (ATV300/r group: 74; ATV400 group: 85) who were enrolled in the CARe study through an Early Access Program. The impact of baseline protease mutations on VR (>or= 1 log(10)copies/ml HIV-RNA decrease at 12-24 weeks) was analyzed using Fisher's exact test. Mutated protease amino acid positions (MPP) with p < 0.20 were retained for further analysis. The GRSs were determined by a step-by-step analysis using the chi(2) test for trend.. The GRSs for ATV300/r and ATV400 revealed differing sets of mutations. For ATV300/r, 12 MPPs (10C/I/V + 32I + 34Q + 46I/L + 53L + 54A/M/V + 82A/F/I/T + 84V + 90M - 15E/G/L/V - 69K/M/N/Q/R/T/Y - 72M/ T/V; p = 1.38 x 10(-9)) were the most strongly associated with VR (VR: 100%, 78.3%, 83.3%, 75% and 0% of patients with a score of -2/-1, 0, 1, 2, and >or= 3, respectively); the last three MPPs (I15/H69/I72) were associated with a better VR. For ATV400, nine MPPs (16E + 20I/M/R/T/V + 32I + 33F/I/V + 53L/Y + 64L/M/ V + 71I/T/V + 85V + 93L/M; p = 9.42 x 10(-8)) were most strongly associated with VR (VR: 83.3%, 66.7%, 5.9%, 0% of patients with 0, 1/2, 3, and >or= 4 MPP, respectively). Differences between GRSs for ATV300/r and ATV400 may be due to different ATV drug levels (boosted vs unboosted), favoring different pathways of escape from antiviral pressure.. Both GRSs were independent predictors of response in a multivariable logistic regression model. Nevertheless, cross-validation of these GRSs on different patient databases is required before their implementation in clinical practice.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Atazanavir Sulfate; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Chi-Square Distribution; Codon; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Viral; Drug Resistance, Viral; Drug Synergism; Female; Genotype; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Logistic Models; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Mutation; Oligopeptides; Prospective Studies; Pyridines; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Treatment Outcome; Viral Load; Viremia

Topics: Alkynes; Anti-HIV Agents; Benzoxazines; Cyclopropanes; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Viral; Drug Therapy, Combination; HIV Infections; Humans; Lopinavir; Pyrimidinones; Ritonavir; Treatment Outcome; Viral Load; Viremia

The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of using lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/RTV) alone as maintenance therapy in HIV-infected individuals with virological suppression.. This was a single-armed single-centre pilot trial.. Asymptomatic HIV-infected patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) including LPV/RTV, and with plasma HIV RNA <40 copies/mL for at least 6 months, were enrolled in the study, during which they continued with LPV/RTV alone. The intention was to recruit 25 patients to be followed for 2 years. Viral failure was defined as two consecutive HIV RNA measurements >40 copies/mL. Nadir and baseline CD4 cell counts, highest ever HIV RNA load, time with undetectable viraemia before monotherapy, number of previous antiretroviral (ARV) regimens, and gene polymorphism at CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 were evaluated.. All patients (27) completed the study. Their median age was 43 years, and 66% were men. Ten patients (37%) failed to maintain virological suppression (the median time to HIV rebound was 10.5 months, with a range of 4-23 months). One patient developed full resistance to LPV and another developed neurocognitive impairment while on LPV/RTV which improved after HAART reintroduction. There were no differences between failures and nonfailures according to the analysed parameters. Patients with viral failure were successfully resuppressed.. LPV/RTV maintenance therapy was associated with 37% failure, a higher than expected failure rate. In order to ensure that unnecessary risks are not being taken in patients on LPV/RTV, this finding should be further evaluated in large randomized trials for longer periods of follow-up.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Brazil; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Lopinavir; Male; Middle Aged; Pilot Projects; Polymorphism, Genetic; Pyrimidinones; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Viral Load; Viremia

Topics: Adenine; Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Deoxycytidine; Emtricitabine; Enfuvirtide; HIV Envelope Protein gp41; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Lopinavir; Male; Organophosphonates; Peptide Fragments; Pyrimidinones; Ritonavir; Tenofovir; Viral Load; Viremia

To determine whether the level of persistent HIV-1 viremia is affected by simplifying standard antiretroviral therapy to lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) alone.. Measurement of HIV-1 RNA levels < 50 copies/ml in longitudinal plasma samples from 41 of 42 subjects enrolled in the 'Only Kaletra' study that compared maintenance therapy with LPV/r alone to standard of care (SOC) with two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) and LPV/r.. Plasma samples for each subject from study screening to week 48 were tested using a modified Roche Amplicor HIV-1 RNA assay with a quantification limit of 3 copies/ml.. Median plasma HIV-1 RNA values at baseline and weeks 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 were not significantly different between the LPV/r alone and the SOC arms, being 5.1 versus 3.0 (P = 0.29), 4.5 versus 2.9 (P = 0.44), 3.3 versus 2.9 (P = 0.99), 1.9 versus 1.0 (P = 0.68), 3.7 versus 3.6 (P = 0.49), and 2.8 versus 1.6 copies/ml (P = 0.78), respectively. In the 17 of 21 subjects who maintained virus suppression < 50 copies/ml on LPV/r alone, median HIV-1 RNA values did not increase significantly from baseline at any time point after discontinuing NRTI, in comparison to the three subjects with virologic failure whose median HIV-1 RNA levels began to rise at week 8.. The level of persistent viremia did not increase after stopping NRTI therapy among subjects who maintained virus suppression < 50 copies/ml on LPV/r alone through 48 weeks. This supports further studies of induction-simplification therapy for treatment of HIV-1 infection including the identification of factors predicting success or failure of simplified therapy.

Topics: Drug Resistance, Viral; Drug Therapy, Combination; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Lopinavir; Pyrimidinones; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Treatment Failure; Viral Load; Viremia

We compared immunovirological outcomes and toxicities of HAART regimens including LPV/r and IDV/r in antiretroviral naïve HIV-1 patients. We retrospectively selected 55 patients starting LPV/r and 52 starting IDV/r as first-line HAART. Immunovirological and metabolic parameters were recorded at baseline and every 3 months as were side effects, AIDS-defining events and deaths. Demographic characteristics and NRTIs included in the regimens were comparable. Both groups reached undetectable HIV-RNA plasma viremia from third month and maintained during follow-up. However, patients receiving IDV/r had a lower probability to obtain virological success (RH: 0.46). Patients receiving IDV/r patients showed a greater increase of total cholesterol (P = 0.01). Three patients on LPV/r and 21 on IDV/r discontinued the drug for toxicity, leading to a 8.40 higher risk of discontinuation in the latter group. In our clinical setting IDV/r showed to be less effective and more toxic than LPV/RTV as first-line HAART.

Topics: Adult; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Cholesterol; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Indinavir; Lopinavir; Male; Pyrimidinones; Retrospective Studies; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Viremia

Amprenavir (APV) is an HIV protease inhibitor (PI) used for the treatment of either naive or PI-experienced HIV-infected patients. Several genotypic resistance pathways in protease gene have been described to be associated to unboosted APV failure (I50V, V32I + I47V, I54L/M, or less commonly I84V, which may be accompanied by one ore more accessory mutations such as L10F, L33F, M46I/L). The aims of this study were to investigate the efficacy up to week 24 of an APV plus ritonavir containing regimen in PI experienced patients and to determine the genotypic resistance profiles emerging in patients failing to this therapy. Forty-nine, PI experienced but APV naïve patients were treated with APV (600 mg bid) plus ritonavir (100 mg bid). By intent-to-treat analysis, the median decrease in viral load (VL) was -1.32 log10 (min +0.6; max -2.8) and -1.46 log10 (min +0.5; max -2.8) 12 and 24 weeks after initiating APV plus ritonavir regimen, respectively. Twelve patients harboured a VL >200 copies/ml at week 24. Among these patients, the selection of mutations previously described with the use of APV as first PI (V32I, L33F, M46I/L, I50V, 54M/L, and I84V) was observed. However, in some cases, mutations classically described after the use of other PIs (V82F and L90M) were selected but always with APV-specific mutations. There was no relation between the resistance pathways selected with either APV or ritonavir plasma minimal concentration, but higher APV plasma minimal concentration were associated with a lower rate of resistance mutations selection.

Topics: Adult; Amino Acid Substitution; Carbamates; Drug Resistance, Viral; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Furans; HIV; HIV Infections; HIV Protease; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mutation, Missense; Ritonavir; Selection, Genetic; Sulfonamides; Treatment Failure; Viral Load; Viremia

Topics: Alkynes; Anti-HIV Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Benzoxazines; Cyclopropanes; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Viral; Female; Follow-Up Studies; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Indinavir; Lamivudine; Male; Oxazines; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Ritonavir; Stavudine; Viral Load; Viremia; Zidovudine

OBJECTIVE To determine the rate of virological rebound and factors associated with rebound among patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) with previously undetectable levels of viraemia. DESIGN An observational cohort study of 2444 patients from the EuroSIDA study. METHODS Patients were followed from their first viral load under 400 copies/ml to the first of two consecutive viral loads above 400 copies/ml. Incidence rates were calculated using person-years of follow-up (PYFU), Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine factors related to rebound. RESULTS Of 2444 patients, 1031 experienced virological rebound (42.2%). The incidence of rebound decreased over time; from 33.5 in the first 6 months after initial suppression to 8.6 per 100 PYFU at 2 years after initial suppression (P < 0.0001). The rate of rebound was lower for treatment-naive compared with treatment-experienced patients. In multivariate models, patients who changed treatment were more likely to rebound, as were patients with higher viral loads on starting HAART. Treatment-naive patients were less likely to rebound. Among pretreated patients, those who were started on new nucleosides were less likely to rebound. CONCLUSION The rate of virological rebound decreased over time, suggesting that the greatest risk of treatment failure is in the months after initial suppression. Treatment-naive patients were at a lower risk of rebound, but among drug-experienced patients, those who added new nucleosides had a lower risk of rebound, as were patients with a good immunological response.

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Drug Administration Schedule; Europe; Female; Follow-Up Studies; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Indinavir; Male; Middle Aged; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Ritonavir; Saquinavir; Treatment Failure; Viral Load; Viremia

There is limited knowledge about how to treat and interpret results from genotypic resistance assays in HIV-2 infection. Here, genetic variation in HIV-2 pol gene was studied in 20 of 23 known HIV-2 cases in Sweden. Five patients with signs of virological treatment failure were longitudinally studied. Clinical, virological and immunological data were collected and the protease (PR) and first half of the reverse transcriptase (RT) was amplified and directly sequenced from plasma samples. Moderate to extensive genetic evolution was observed in four of the five patients who failed treatment. Some mutations occurred at positions known to confer resistance in HIV-1, but many occurred at other positions in PR and RT. All patients had been treated with zidovudine alone or in combination with other antiretroviral drugs, but none displayed a mutation at position 215, which is the primary zidovudine resistance site in HIV-1. Instead, a E219D mutation evolved in virus from two patients and a Q151M mutation evolved in two other patients. A M184V mutation indicative of lamivudine resistance was detected in three patients. The virus of one patient who had been treated with ritonavir, nelfinavir, and lopinavir successively acquired nine unusual mutations in the protease gene, most of which are not considered primary or secondary resistance mutations in HIV-1. Our data indicate that the evolutionary pathways that lead to antiretroviral resistance in HIV-2 and HIV-1 exhibit both similarities and differences. Genotypic HIV-2 resistance assays cannot be interpreted using algorithms developed for HIV-1, instead new algorithms specific for HIV-2 have to be developed.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Africa, Western; Amino Acid Sequence; Amino Acid Substitution; Anti-HIV Agents; Codon; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Viral; Evolution, Molecular; Female; Genes, pol; Genetic Variation; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; HIV-2; Humans; Lamivudine; Lopinavir; Male; Middle Aged; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation, Missense; Nelfinavir; Prospective Studies; Pyrimidinones; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Ritonavir; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Sweden; Treatment Failure; Viremia; Zidovudine

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; CD4-CD8 Ratio; Depression; Didanosine; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Infectious Mononucleosis; Male; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Ritonavir; Stavudine; Treatment Refusal; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; Viral Load; Viremia; Zalcitabine; Zidovudine

Sustained elevations in CD4 cell counts commonly occur despite incomplete viral suppression with protease inhibitor-based antiretroviral therapy.. To determine the incidence and risk factors associated with return of CD4 cell count to pre-therapy levels in patients experiencing virologic failure of protease inhibitor therapy.. This is a clinic-based cohort study of HIV-infected adults who failed to maintain durable viral suppression on a protease inhibitor-based regimen.. Virologic failure was defined as persistent plasma HIV RNA level > 500 copies/ml. Immunologic failure was defined as return of CD4 cell count to pre-therapy levels.. A total of 291 patients experienced virologic failure on a protease inhibitor-based regimen and had a treatment-mediated CD4 cell increase above pre-therapy levels at the time of virologic failure. If patient data were censored at the time a successful salvage regimen was initiated, then the median time to immunologic failure after the onset of virologic failure was 3 years. If patient data were also censored at the time therapy was discontinued, then 36.8% of the cohort experienced immunologic failure after 3 years of continuous virologic failure. The change in viral load from a pre-treatment baseline, and not the absolute level of viremia achieved, was a strong and independent predictor of immunologic failure. Discontinuing therapy was associated with immunologic failure independent of viral load changes.. Reduction in T CD4+ cell numbers may eventually occur during prolonged virologic failure of a protease inhibitor-based regimen and is predicted by the degree of virologic suppression below a pre-therapy 'set-point'.

Topics: Adult; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Disease Progression; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Indinavir; Nelfinavir; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Saquinavir; Time Factors; Treatment Failure; Viremia

Ten severely immunocompromised HIV-HCV co-infected patients were enrolled in a quantifiable HCV-RNA assay. Serum alanine aminotransferase, HCV-RNA levels and HIV viral loads were determined at baseline, at month three and at month six after initiation of a highly active antiretroviral therapy including an HIV protease inhibitor. HCV genotypes were determined using a line probe assay kit. Our results suggested that this therapy did not result in lower HCV viraemia, whatever the HCV genotypes, and probably had no effect on the outcome of chronic viral hepatitis C. As our patients were severely immunocompromised and their mean increase of CD4 cell counts was less than 50/mm(3), we cannot reach any conclusions about the impact of the improvement of immune status on the HCV-RNA load.

Topics: Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis C; HIV; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Indinavir; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Viral Load; Viremia; Virus Replication

Monitoring the evolution of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) drug resistance requires measuring the frequency of closely related genetic variants making up the complex viral quasispecies found in vivo. In order to resolve both major and minor (>/=2%) protease gene variants differing by one or more nucleotide substitutions, we analyzed PCR products derived from plasma viral quasispecies by using a combination of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and DNA heteroduplex tracking assays. Correct population sampling of the high level of genetic diversity present within viral quasispecies could be documented by parallel analysis of duplicate, independently generated PCR products. The composition of genetically complex protease gene quasispecies remained constant over short periods of time in the absence of treatment and while plasma viremia fell >100-fold following the initiation of protease inhibitor ritonavir monotherapy. Within a month of initiating therapy, a strong reduction in the genetic diversity of plasma viral populations at the selected protease locus was associated with rising plasma viremia and the emergence of drug resistance. The high levels of protease genetic diversity seen before treatment reemerged only months later. In one patient, reduction in genetic diversity at the protease gene was observed concomitantly with an increase in diversity at the envelope gene (E. L. Delwart, P. Heng, A. Neumann, and M. Markowitz, J. Virol. 72:2416-2421, 1998), indicating that opposite population genetic changes can take place in different HIV-1 loci. The rapid emergence of drug-resistant HIV-1 was therefore associated with a strong, although only transient, reduction in genetic diversity at the selected locus. The denaturing gradient-heteroduplex tracking assay is a simple method for the separation and quantitation of very closely related, low-frequency, genetic variants within complex viral populations.

Topics: Biological Evolution; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Genetic Variation; Heteroduplex Analysis; HIV Infections; HIV Protease; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Viremia

Topics: CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Child; Child, Preschool; Didanosine; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV Reverse Transcriptase; HIV-1; Humans; Infant; Male; Mutation; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Ritonavir; Viremia; Zidovudine

Modified, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-inoculated thy/liv-SCID-hu mice were used to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of antiretroviral drugs. Ritonavir treatment alone initially suppressed plasma viremia, but the viremia recurred with the appearance of ritonavir-resistant HIV isolates. Multidrug therapy suppressed plasma HIV RNA to undetectable levels; however, plasma viremia returned after therapy was stopped, showing that the therapy did not completely suppress HIV infection in the thymic implant. When thy/liv-SCID-hu mice were treated with a combination of zidovudine, lamivudine, and ritonavir immediately after inoculation with HIV, cocultures of the thymic implants remained negative for HIV even 1 month after therapy was discontinued, suggesting that acute treatment can prevent the establishment of HIV infection. Thus, these modified thy/liv-SCID-hu mice should prove to be a useful system for evaluating the effectiveness of different antiretroviral therapies on acute and chronic HIV infection.

Topics: Animals; Anti-HIV Agents; Chronic Disease; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Drug Therapy, Combination; Fetal Tissue Transplantation; Flow Cytometry; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Lamivudine; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Liver Transplantation; Mice; Mice, SCID; Recurrence; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Saquinavir; Thymus Gland; Viremia; Zidovudine

To evaluate the clinical and biological impact of protease inhibitors on HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma.. A cohort of 10 patients included prospectively from April 1996 to June 1997 were studied in one institutional centre after initiation of protease inhibitors.. All patients but one (stable disease) had progressive Kaposi's sarcoma. Three out of 10 patients had stopped specific chemotherapy for Kaposi's sarcoma for more than 4 weeks, three were still under chemotherapy, and four had never received specific treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma. Plasma HIV viral load, human herpesvirus (HHV)-8 viraemia in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and CD4 cell count were sequentially assessed from the beginning of therapy. For six patients, a semiquantitative evaluation of HHV-8 viral load in the Kaposi's sarcoma lesions was performed during treatment using polymerase chain reaction.. After initiation of HIV triple therapy with protease inhibitors, we observed six complete responses, two partial responses, and two patients with progressive disease. All patients had undetectable plasma HIV viral load within 2 months of treatment. Undetectable HHV-8 viraemia in PBMC occurred in seven out of eight patients with partial or complete response and in none of the progressive patients. A decrease or negation of HHV-8 viral load in Kaposi's sarcoma lesions was observed in two complete responders.. Our results suggest that antiviral therapy with protease inhibitors are clinically efficient in HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma and that there exists a correlation between clinical response and negation of HHV-8 viraemia.

Topics: Adult; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; Anti-HIV Agents; Didanosine; Dideoxynucleosides; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Herpesvirus 8, Human; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Indinavir; Lamivudine; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Ritonavir; Saquinavir; Sarcoma, Kaposi; Stavudine; Treatment Outcome; Viral Load; Viremia; Zalcitabine; Zidovudine

A new mathematical model was used to analyze a detailed set of human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) viral load data collected from five infected individuals after the administration of a potent inhibitor of HIV-1 protease. Productively infected cells were estimated to have, on average, a life-span of 2.2 days (half-life t 1/2 = 1.6 days), and plasma virions were estimated to have a mean life-span of 0.3 days (t 1/2 = 0.24 days). The estimated average total HIV-1 production was 10.3 x 10(9) virions per day, which is substantially greater than previous minimum estimates. The results also suggest that the minimum duration of the HIV-1 life cycle in vivo is 1.2 days on average, and that the average HIV-1 generation time--defined as the time from release of a virion until it infects another cell and causes the release of a new generation of viral particles--is 2.6 days. These findings on viral dynamics provide not only a kinetic picture of HIV-1 pathogenesis, but also theoretical principles to guide the development of treatment strategies.

Topics: Antiviral Agents; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Cell Survival; Half-Life; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Kinetics; Models, Biological; Regression Analysis; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Thiazoles; Valine; Viremia; Virion; Virus Replication

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Antiviral Agents; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Therapy, Combination; HIV; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Indinavir; Pyridines; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Thiazoles; Valine; Viremia

Treatment of infected patients with ABT-538, an inhibitor of the protease of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), causes plasma HIV-1 levels to decrease exponentially (mean half-life, 2.1 +/- 0.4 days) and CD4 lymphocyte counts to rise substantially. Minimum estimates of HIV-1 production and clearance and of CD4 lymphocyte turnover indicate that replication of HIV-1 in vivo is continuous and highly productive, driving the rapid turnover of CD4 lymphocytes.

Topics: Antiviral Agents; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Kinetics; Ritonavir; Viremia; Virion; Virus Replication

An overview of the Fourth International Workshop on HIV Drug Resistance held in 1995 is presented. Topics concern the dual resistance to AZT and 3TC, viral resistance to protease inhibitors, and recent laboratory findings on viral resistance patterns that have provided impetus for the design of clinical studies to evaluate rational combinations of protease inhibitors. VX-478, indinavir, and ritonavir study data are presented.

Topics: Antiviral Agents; Carbamates; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Furans; HIV; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Indinavir; Isoquinolines; Lamivudine; Pyridines; Quinolines; Ritonavir; Saquinavir; Sulfonamides; Thiazoles; Valine; Viremia; Zalcitabine; Zidovudine