[A randomized clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of indinavir, ritonavir and saquinavir].
OBJECTIVE
HIV protease inhibitors (PI) were licensed without a direct evidence of their relative efficacy.


METHODS
137 patients attending our clinics between November 1997 and March 1998, to whom treatment with a PI was recommended, were randomized to receive indinavir (IDV), saquinavir (SQV) or ritonavir (RTV). Main outcome variables were one-year mean changes in HIV-RNA plasma concentrations and CD4 cells counts and proportion of patients with HIV viral load below level of detection.


RESULTS
Mean HIV viral load reductions were 0.95 for SQV, 0.72 for IDV and 0.65 for RTV (p = 0.44), equaling losses and changes to failures. In a standard intent-to-treat analysis, mean changes in viral load were 1.16, 1.01 and 1.50 (p = 0.21), respectively. The proportion of patients with undetectable viral load was 50%, with no differences between treatment arms.


CONCLUSIONS
No differences were observed in the effectiveness of SQV, IDV and RTV.
Servicio de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Hospital de Basurto. Bilbao. Spain. retira@hbas.osakidetza.net
Ramón
R
Teira
María M
MM
Cámara
Antonio
A
Escobar
Pepa
P
Muñoz
Josefina
J
López de Munain
Juan M
JM
Santamaría
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019469:Indinavir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019258:Saquinavir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019562:Viral Load
D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D019469:Indinavir; D019258:Saquinavir; D019438:Ritonavir