title: Beneficial effects of a combination of Korean red ginseng and highly active antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected patients.
abstract: To determine whether Korean red ginseng (KRG) has beneficial effects on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients administered highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), we analyzed the CD4 T-cell count, viral load, and resistance mutations to HAART in 46 individuals. Thirteen patients harbored resistance mutations at baseline. The study population was divided into two groups: specifically, a group treated with a combination of HAART plus KRG (23 patients) and a group treated with HAART alone (23 patients). The annual increase in CD4 T-cell count in the combination group was significantly higher than that in the group treated with HAART alone (P < 0.05). Overall, 21 patients harbored resistance mutations after 3 years of therapy. Following exclusion of 13 patients displaying baseline resistance mutations, 7.1% of patients (1/14) in the combination group and 42.1% (8/19) in the HAART group were identified with resistance mutations. One patient with baseline resistance mutations in the combination group did not display resistance mutations 3 years after HAART therapy. High-level resistance mutations were significantly lower in the combination group than in the group treated with HAART alone. Five patients showed no improvement in viral copy number (26.3% [5/19]) in the combination group and 9 (45.0% [9/20]) showed no improvement in the HAART-only group. Our data support the clinical utility of KRG intake during HAART therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Heungsup
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: You-Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Young-Keol
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002648:Child; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D005894:Panax; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D014764:Viral Proteins