title: Initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy in advanced AIDS with CD4 < 50 cells/mm3 in a resource-limited setting: efficacy and tolerability.
abstract: In developing countries, patients often present late with advanced AIDS and a very low CD4 cell count. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in HIV-infected patients who had been initiated into highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) with CD4 cell count < 50 cells/mm3. There were 159 patients of mean age 36.6 years and 60.4% had previous major opportunistic infections. Mean CD4 was 22 cells/mm3 and 80% had HIV RNA > 100,000 copies/mL. The majority of HAART regimens is non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based (81.8%). In as-treated analysis, 50, 71.2, 79.7, 79.4, and 80.1% of patients achieved undetectable HIV RNA (< 50 copies/mL) at 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 weeks, respectively. The corresponding mean CD4 counts were 95, 125, 166, 201, and 225 cells/mm3. Twenty two patients (13.8%) had adverse drug events and half of these had to discontinue HAART. Initiation of HAART in advanced AIDS with CD4 cell count < 50 cells/mm3 is effective, safe, and well tolerated and should not be delayed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. ssungkan@im.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Somnuek
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sungkanuparph
authors.forename: Sasisopin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kiertiburanakul
authors.forename: Weerawat
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Manosuthi
authors.forename: Wiphawee
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kiatatchasai
authors.forename: Asda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vibhagool
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral