Increased survival of a cohort of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and cytomegalovirus retinitis who received sodium phosphonoformate (foscarnet).
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the impact of foscarnet on the longevity of persons with human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) infection and cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis.


METHODS
A cohort of 24 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and CMV retinitis received sodium phosphonoformate (foscarnet) as part of a controlled efficacy trial at the National Institutes of Health. Foscarnet was continued for as long as it was tolerated. Antiretroviral therapy was given to the patients as tolerated. Long-term follow-up was available on all patients.


RESULTS
Seventeen patients received zidovudine during or after receiving foscarnet, 2 patients received dideoxyinosine, 2 patients zidovudine and dideoxyinosine, and 3 patients received no specific antiretroviral agent. Patients received foscarnet for a mean of 6.2 months (median, 4 months; range, 10 days to 22 months). Ten patients required a change to ganciclovir therapy at some time after receiving foscarnet. The median time from the diagnosis of CMV retinitis until death was 13.5 months (range, 3 to 34 months). Patients lived longer than untreated or ganciclovir-treated historical controls with AIDS and CMV retinitis. There was no difference in the survival of patients treated with foscarnet at the time of diagnosis and those patients treated with foscarnet only after progression of their CMV retinitis.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that foscarnet may prolong the survival of persons with AIDS and CMV retinitis and should be the initial treatment of choice in these patients.
Polis
M A
MA
Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
deSmet
M D
MD
Baird
B F
BF
Mellow
S
S
Falloon
J
J
Davey
R T
RT
Kovacs
J A
JA
Palestine
A G
AG
Nussenblatt
R B
RB
Masur
H
H
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016049:Didanosine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017245:Foscarnet / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D012173:Retinitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D017245:Foscarnet; D015215:Zidovudine; D016049:Didanosine; D015774:Ganciclovir