title: Long-term clinical follow-up, without antiretroviral therapy, of patients with chronic HIV-1 infection with good virological response to structured treatment interruption.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Infectious Diseases, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer, Hospital Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Florence
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plana
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fumero
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cruceta
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Mireia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arnedo
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Miró
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pumarola
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gallart
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gatell
mesh_terms: 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