Effect of prior nucleoside use on the two-year virological response to an initial protease inhibitor regimen in HIV-infected patients.
OBJECTIVE
This retrospective study investigates the effect of prior nucleoside (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor [NRTI]) experience on 2-year virologic response to an initial protease inhibitor-highly active antiretroviral therapy (PI-HAART) regimen.


METHODS
152 patients who started a PI (excluding saquinavir hard gel capsule [hgc] as a sole PI) with two NRTIs between January 1996 and May 1998 at two HIV treatment sites were included.


RESULTS
109 patients (71%) were NRTI experienced. 106 patients received two new NRTIs, and 32 received one new NRTI. Overall, 51% of patients had a virologic response (HIV viral load <400 copies/mL); the mean follow-up was 28 months. Virologic response was associated with the use of at least one new NRTI (relative risk [RR] 2.1; p =.031) but not with prior NRTI experience (p =.19). A complete virologic response was most likely to occur when two new NRTIs were used (RR 2.3) rather than one new NRTI (RR 1.8), but this was not significant (p =.12).


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that prior nucleoside experience is not a key predictor of 2-year virologic response in patients who receive at least one new NRTI in an initial PI-HAART regimen.
Kazanjian
P
P
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0378, USA. pkazanji@umich.edu
Tashima
K
K
Hollander
T
T
Kaul
D
D
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D012367:RNA, Viral; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors