Nevirapine toxicity in a cohort of HIV-1-infected pregnant women.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to complete an evaluation of nevirapine (NVP) toxicity in a cohort of HIV+ pregnant women.


METHODS
This was a retrospective study of 611 women followed from January 1996 to December 2003. All women who used NVP for > 7 days were included. Multivariate logistic regression was used to test independent association of CD4 and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection related to the outcome of toxic effects of NVP.


RESULTS
One hundred ninety-seven women were exposed to NVP for > 7 days, and toxicity occurred in 11 (5.6%), leading to drug discontinuation in 7 patients. One case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome occurred. No serious liver toxicity occurred except for 1 grade 4 cholestasis. Median CD4 was 344 in women without toxicities and 298 in women with toxicities. HCV was the only significant factor associated to toxicity by logistic regression (odds ratio [OR] 15.61, P = .001).


CONCLUSIONS
NVP toxicities occurred in a very small fraction of patients and were not associated with fatalities.
João
Esau Custódio
EC
Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital dos Servidores do Estado, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. esau@uninet.com.br
Calvet
Guilherme A
GA
Menezes
Jacqueline A
JA
D'Ippolito
Marcos M
MM
Cruz
Maria Letícia S
ML
Salgado
Luisa Andrea T
LA
Matos
Haroldo J
HJ
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000139:chemically induced; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D019829:Nevirapine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D019829:Nevirapine