title: Treatment interruption after pregnancy: effects on disease progression and laboratory findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess clinical progression and inflammatory markers among women stopping or continuing antiretroviral therapy (ART) after pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  ART-naïve women with CD4+ lymphocyte counts >350 cells/uL initiating ART during pregnancy had clinical events and laboratory markers compared over one year postpartum between those stopping (n = 59) or continuing (n = 147) ART.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Slopes in CD4 count and HIV RNA did not differ between groups overall and in subsets of ZDV or combination therapy. The hazard ratio (HR) of a new class B event was 2.09 (95% CI 0.79-5.58) among women stopping ART, 1.24 (0.31-4.95) in those stopping ZDV, and 2.93 (0.64-13.36) among those stopping combination therapy. Women stopping ART had increased immune activation. No significant differences were seen in C-reactive protein, lipids, leptin, or interleukin-6.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While changes in CD4 and HIV RNA levels over one year were similar between women stopping or continuing ART postpartum, higher immune activation among women stopping therapy requires further study.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric, Adolescent and Maternal AIDS Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. wattsh@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Tuomala
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mendez
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: LaRussa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Mofenson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016015:Logistic Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D019562:Viral Load; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D012367:RNA, Viral; D015215:Zidovudine