title: Safety of long-term interruption of successful antiretroviral therapy: the ATHENA cohort study.
abstract: We studied the dynamics of CD4 cell counts after the interruption of virologically successful highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 139 patients. Changes in CD4 cell counts during HAART interruption followed a biphasic pattern: an initial rapid decline during the first month followed by a slow decrease. During 48 weeks of follow-up mean CD4 cell counts remained just above the mean pre-HAART level. This limits the feasibility of structured treatment interruptions for patients with low nadir CD4 cell counts.
authors.affiliation: International Antiviral Therapy Evaluation Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ferdinand Wnm
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Wit
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Blanckenberg
authors.forename: Kees
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brinkman
authors.forename: Jan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Prins
authors.forename: Marchina E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: van der Ende
authors.forename: Margriet Me
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Jan-Willem
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Wolf
authors.forename: Joep Ma
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lange
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents