Clinical and laboratory signs of mitochondrial dysfunction secondary to nucleoside analogue antiretroviral therapy are reversible.
During 27 months treatment with 400 mg didanosine and 80 mg stavudine daily but no protease inhibitor therapy, a 50-y-old HIV-positive woman gradually lost 13 kg in weight, her arms, legs and buttocks decreased in volume and she experienced fatigue and polyneuropathy. Laboratory tests showed slight increases in plasma lactate and liver enzyme levels. Eighteen months after withdrawal of antiretroviral drug, the patient was free of fatigue and polyneuropathy and had regained 7 kg in weight as well as most of the volume of her arms, legs and buttocks.
Hagberg
L
L
Department of Infectious Diseases, Gothenburg University, Sweden. lars.hagberg@medfak.gu.se
Janson
G L
GL
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000009:adverse effects; D016049:Didanosine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D028361:Mitochondrial Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018119:Stavudine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D018119:Stavudine; D016049:Didanosine