title: -Dual nucleoside therapy for HIV infection: analysis of results and factors influencing viral response and long term efficacy.
abstract: We performed a retrospective analysis of our experience with dual nucleoside regimens to look for predictors of long term benefit. The study evaluated a cohort of 68 HIV-infected patients treated at 3 Italian hospital-based facilities. The results were evaluated using univariate and multivariate statistical analysis. Fourty-three males and 25 females were treated for 22 +/- 14 months. Sixty three patients (92.6%) suffered no or low-grade side-effects. Thirty-four patients (50%) reached a viral load <400 copies/ml (undetectable). Viremia remained persistently undetectable in 9 cases (13.2%). Variable relapses of viremia were seen in 13 patients (19.1%) even though their therapys were not modified. Eight patients (11.8%) showed relapsing viremias persistently around or below 10,000 copies/ml. All patients reaching undetectable viremia but one showed increasing or stable CD4+ cell counts. Factors predicting favourable response were: pre-treatment CD4+ T-cells >150/microl, pre-treatment viremia <50,000 copies/ml, pre-treatment lymphocytes >1,500/microl, and no previous exposure to NRTI. Total lymphocyte counts and CD4+ T-cells showed a significant correlation. Dual NRTI regimens may be still considered for patients unable to tolerate HAART regimens and presenting with favourable predictors of response.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Unit, Ospedale Civile Spirito Santo, Pescara, Italy. gparruti@tin.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parruti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tarquini
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Falasca
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ballone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agostinone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Placido
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Graziani
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Giammartino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dalessandro
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vecchiet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Nicola
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schioppa
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alterio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Consorte
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pieri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marani Toro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D019562:Viral Load / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors