Response to changes in antiretroviral therapy after genotyping in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children.
BACKGROUND
HIV genotyping has been beneficial when choosing salvage regimens in adults failing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Our objectives were to evaluate the usefulness of genotyping in HIVinfected children failing HAART and to determine whether the presence of resistance mutations was associated with previous antiretroviral therapy.


METHODS
We followed the progress of pediatric patients who had HIV genotyping performed after HAART failure. Charts were reviewed at 3-month intervals for 1 year after genotyping for changes in viral load and CD4+ cell percentage. Patients whose antiretroviral therapy was changed after genotyping were compared with those whose medications were not changed. We also compared the proportion of patients with genotypic mutations according to antiretroviral exposure at time of genotyping.


RESULTS
Eighteen pediatric patients were eligible for inclusion. None of 10 patients who had antiretroviral therapy changed after genotyping had a decrease in viral load atmonths after genotyping. One of 8 patients who had no changes in antiretroviral therapy had a sustained decrease in viral load at 12 months. Two-thirds of patients had resistance mutations to antiretrovirals without prior exposure to that drug.


CONCLUSIONS
This study did not demonstrate substantial clinical benefit to HIV genotyping in antiretroviral agent-experienced pediatric patients with high viral loads. These results contrast with favorable short term clinical and virologic responses to therapeutic changes after genotyping in HIV-infected adults. However, medication history alone does not appear to be an adequate alternative to genotyping in choosing salvage regimens in antiretroviral agent-experienced children.
Cohen
Nicole J
NJ
Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago Hospitals, IL, USA.
Oram
Ronda
R
Elsen
Chris
C
Englund
Janet A
JA
D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005814:Genes, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D011336:Probability; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014505:Urban Population; D019562:Viral Load
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents