title: [HIV protease inhibitors: drug interactions].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Management of HIV infection considerably improved over the past few years. Factors that contributed to this improvement are the following: better knowledge of the dynamics of viral replication and immune response, plasma viral load quantitation, use of new combinations with more potent antiretroviral drugs, simultaneous progress in treatment of opportunistic infections. As a result, potential for drug interactions increased.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Due to changes in hepatic metabolism, protease inhibitors may interact with concurrent treatment. The most relevant known drug interactions with each of the protease inhibitor (saquinavir, indinavir, ritonavir and nelfinavir) are summarized. Due to toxicity risks, co-administration is contraindicated for various interacting drugs, whereas dosage adjustments may only be required for others. Such interactions have relevant consequences in clinical practice for the choice of the combination that should be prescribed. However, they may have direct therapeutical benefit to the patient, particularly in the case of protease inhibitors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though potential drug interactions require careful monitoring in clinical practice, they should not limit the use and therefore therapeutical benefit conferred by these highly active drugs. To better define the value of combinations of protease inhibitors and treatment with non-nucleosidic reverse transcriptase inhibitor, further studies are required. As the number of drugs increases, experience and clinical practice in treatment of HIV infection will allow better knowledge of drug interactions and thereby optimal management of HIV-infected individuals.
authors.affiliation: Service régional universitaire des maladies infectieuses et du voyageur, hôpital Gustave-Dron, Tourcoing, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gérard
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maulin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dubreuil
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mouton
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000075202:Contraindications; D004347:Drug Interactions; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D019469:Indinavir / Q000494:pharmacology; D019888:Nelfinavir / Q000494:pharmacology; D012307:Risk Factors; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000494:pharmacology; D019258:Saquinavir / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D019469:Indinavir; D019888:Nelfinavir; D019258:Saquinavir; D019438:Ritonavir