Replacing ritonavir by nelfinavir or nelfinavir/saquinavir as part of highly active antiretroviral therapy leads to an improvement of triglyceride levels.
In a randomized, parallel arm, open-label study, the effect of switching from ritonavir to either nelfinavir or nelfinavir plus saquinavir as part of a triple antiretroviral regimen was investigated in 16 patients with undetectable HIV-1 loads. Patients continued to use the same nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors as before the switch of protease inhibitor. The period of follow-up was 48 weeks. In all patients HIV-1 load remained undetectable, whereas CD4 cell counts remained stable. Furthermore, lipid markers improved after the switch.
Wensing
A M
AM
Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Reedijk
M
M
Richter
C
C
Boucher
C A
CA
Borleffs
J C
JC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019888:Nelfinavir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019258:Saquinavir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D014280:Triglycerides; D019888:Nelfinavir; D019258:Saquinavir; D019438:Ritonavir