Impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy on CD4+ T cells and viral load of children with AIDS: a population-based study.
In this study, we sought to characterize the changes over time at the population level on CD4(+) T cells and plasma viral load (VL) levels of HIV-1-infected children with or without AIDS. We carried out a retrospective study in 114 HIV-infected children during the calendar period that a highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) protocol was used. The HAART protocol consisted of three drugs: nucleoside analogue HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and/or HIV protease inhibitors, and/or nonnucleoside analogue HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The mean of CD4(+) T cells percentage and log(10) VL per calendar year were stratified by AIDS diagnostic. As new HAART strategies become available, an increase of CD4(+) T cells and a decrease of VL were observed over time, in children with and without AIDS. In 2001, children with AIDS reached values of CD4(+) T cells and VL similar to children without AIDS. In conclusion, our study shows that the generalized use of HAART has permitted improvement in immunological and virological status of HIV-infected children without AIDS, and more importantly in children with AIDS.
Resino
Salvador
S
Laboratorio de Inmuno-Biología Molecular, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain.
Bellón
José M
JM
Ramos
José Tomas
JT
Resino
Rosa
R
Gurbindo
M Dolores
MD
Mellado
M José
MJ
de José
M Isabel
MI
Muñoz-Fernández
M Angeles
MA
D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
D012367:RNA, Viral