title: Limited penetration of lopinavir and ritonavir in the genital tract of men infected with HIV-1 in Brazil.
abstract: The concentrations of lopinavir and ritonavir in seminal and blood plasma and the seminal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load were quantified by HPLC and the Nuclisens assay, respectively, in a cross-sectional study of 16 HIV-1-infected Brazilian men under stable treatment with a lopinavir/ritonavir containing antiretroviral regimen. Semen and blood samples were collected on 2 occasions: at 6 to 60 minutes before ("trough"), and 5 to 6 hours after ("peak") ingestion of regular doses of lopinavir/ritonavir. Median seminal lopinavir levels were 120.6 ng/mL (range, <20-1481.8 ng/mL) and 233.1 ng/mL (range, 48.4-1133.4 ng/mL) at trough and peak points, respectively. The corresponding values for ritonavir were 9.2 ng/mL (range, <5-47 ng/mL) and 17.1 ng/mL (range, 6.6-66.7 ng/mL). The median concentrations of lopinavir and ritonavir in semen were, respectively, 1.9% to 3% and 3.7% to 4.4% of those measured in blood plasma samples collected within 30 minutes. HIV-1 viral load was detectable in the semen of 2 and in the blood of 6 of 16 patients. These results may have implications for drug-resistant HIV-1 evolution and transmission.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Service, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tania R C
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Vergara
authors.forename: Rita C E
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Estrela
authors.forename: Guilherme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suarez-Kurtz
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schechter
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cerbino-Neto
authors.forename: Paulo F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Barroso
mesh_terms: D001682:Biological Availability; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D061466:Lopinavir; D008297:Male; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012044:Regression Analysis; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D011744:Pyrimidinones; D061466:Lopinavir; D019438:Ritonavir