title: Discordant response to HAART: reduction of viremia and replicative capacity of HIV strains in patients after genotype guided change of therapy.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate outcome after a genotype guided change of therapy in 18 patients failing HAART. Patients were divided into two groups according to the response to therapy: immune responders (12 patients with immune recovery defined as having more than 100 CD4 cells compared to baseline value), and 6 failing patients (without immune recovery). At month 12 after genotype change of therapy a significant difference in the decrease of HIV-RNA viral load between the two groups of patients was detected (mean -1.95 and +0.04 log HIV-RNA copies/ml, p=0.04). One year after the change of therapy, all but one patients experienced a decrease in the replication capacity of HIV strains. Particularly, the HIV replication capacity of HIV strains decreased from 52% (range 14-98%) to 15.2% (range 0.1-74.5%). The HIV strains of patients failing HAART showed a progressive impaired replication capacity. In patients failing HAART the impaired replication capacity of HIV strains could justify the persistence of an immune recovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sarmati
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montano
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dori
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Buonomini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Ettorre
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vullo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andreoni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia / Q000188:drug therapy; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral