Long-term clinical follow-up, without antiretroviral therapy, of patients with chronic HIV-1 infection with good virological response to structured treatment interruption.
The present study assessed the long-term clinical follow-up of 26 of 60 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients who followed structured treatment interruption (STI) protocols and who, because of good virological response, did not resume receipt of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The plasma viral load (pVL) noted after > or =2 years without antiretroviral therapy remained significantly lower than the pVL noted before initiation of HAART, for 11 of the 26 patients (i.e., for 18% of the 60 patients who had STI performed). The CD4+ T cell count remained stable throughout the study. A low pVL at the end of follow-up was independently associated with a low CD8+CD38+ T lymphocyte count and a high stimulation index to p24 antigen after STI. In conclusion, approximately 2 years after STI, only a low proportion of patients who had a good immunological profile at the end of the STI period still had a good virological response.
Florence
Eric
E
Unit of Infectious Diseases, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer, Hospital Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Spain.
García
Felipe
F
Plana
Montserrat
M
Fumero
Emilio
E
Castro
Pedro
P
Lopez
Anna
A
Cruceta
Anna
A
Gil
Cristina
C
Arnedo
Mireia
M
Miró
José M
JM
Pumarola
Tomás
T
Gallart
Teresa
T
Gatell
José M
JM
D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020551:Pulse Therapy, Drug / Q000379:methods; D013995:Time; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load