A high HIV DNA level in PBMCs at antiretroviral treatment interruption predicts a shorter time to treatment resumption, independently of the CD4 nadir.

This study aimed to evaluate the safety of antiretroviral treatment interruption (TI) in HIV-infected patients who started treatment based on earlier guidelines, and to identify baseline factors predictive of the time to reach fixed criteria for treatment resumption. Prospective, open-label, multicenter trial. Patients were eligible if they had a CD4 cell count >350/mm(3) and plasma HIV RNA <50,000 copies/ml when they first started antiretroviral therapy (ART); and if they had a CD4 count >450/mm(3) and stable plasma HIV RNA <5,000 copies/ml for at least 6 months prior to enrollment. The criteria for ART resumption were a CD4 cell count <300/mm(3) and/or a CDC stage B or C event. 116 patients had received ART for a median of 5.3 years. The median CD4 cell count and plasma HIV RNA values at inclusion were 809/mm(3) and 2.6 log copies/ml, respectively. Median HIV DNA load at inclusion was 2.3 log copies/10(6) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Thirty-six months after TI, 63.9% of the patients had not yet reached the criteria for ART resumption, and 55.9% of patients had not resumed ART. In Cox multivariable analysis, a high HIV DNA level at TI, a low CD4 nadir, and pre-existing AIDS status were the only significant risk factors for reaching the criteria for ART resumption (hazards ratio: 2.15 (1.02-4.53), 4.59 (1.22-17.24), and 5.74 (1.60-20.56), respectively). Patients who started ART with a CD4 cell count above 350/mm(3) were able to interrupt treatment for long periods without a high absolute risk of either AIDS or severe non-AIDS morbidity/mortality. A high PBMC HIV DNA level at TI was a strong predictor for more rapid treatment resumption.

Interleukin-2 before antiretroviral therapy in patients with HIV infection: a randomized trial (ANRS 119).

BACKGROUND: Interleukin (IL)-2 increases CD4 T cell counts when combined with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Whether IL-2 alone can increase CD4 cell counts is unknown. METHODS: A total of 130 adults who had a CD4 cell count of 300-500 cells/microL (and, thus, were not eligible to receive ART) were randomized to receive either intermittent IL-2 therapy or no treatment. The primary end point was a drop in CD4 cell count to <300 cells/microL, initiation of ART, the occurrence of an AIDS-defining event, or death. RESULTS: Through week 96, 35% of the patients in the IL-2 arm and 59% in the control arm reached the primary end point (P = .008). Median changes from baseline in the IL-2 and control arms were +51 and -64 cells/microL, respectively, for CD4 cell count (P < .001) and were +0.02 and +0.04 log(10) copies/mL, respectively, for plasma viral load (P = .93). Among patients with a baseline viral load <4.5 log(10) copies/mL, 64% in the IL-2 arm and 10% in the control arm did not reach the primary end point through week 150 (P < .001), and the time to ART initiation was deferred by 92 weeks in the IL-2 arm. The incidences of an AIDS-defining event, death, and grade 3 or 4 adverse events were similar between study arms. CONCLUSION: IL-2 increased CD4 cell counts without affecting HIV replication and allowed the initiation of ART to be deferred. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00120185 .

Switch from zidovudine- to non-zidovudine-containing regimens is associated with modest haematological improvement and no obvious clinical benefit: a substudy of the ANRS 099 ALIZE trial.

BACKGROUND: Zidovudine, the first antiretroviral agent, has short-term haematological toxicity. However, it is unclear whether patients tolerating long-term zidovudine-containing regimens will benefit from a switch to non-zidovudine-containing regimens. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-eight patients enrolled in the ALIZE trial receiving zidovudine at baseline were analysed. These patients were randomized to continue their regimen or to switch to a combination of emtricitabine, didanosine and efavirenz for 48 weeks. Changes from baseline in haemoglobin (Hb), neutrophil and platelet counts were compared between arms as well as the occurrence of cardiovascular events, bacterial infections, use of haematopoietic growth factors, blood transfusion and quality of life using the Medical Outcome Study HIV (MOS-HIV) health survey. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients continued their regimen and 77 switched. At 48 weeks, mean change from baseline in Hb were +0.73 and -0.37 g/dL in the switch and maintenance groups, respectively (P < 0.01). Mean neutrophil counts increased by 592 and 51 cells/mm(3) in the switch and maintenance groups, respectively (P = 0.02). The occurrence of cardiovascular events or bacterial infections was similar in both treatment arms with no use of haematopoietic growth factors or blood transfusion. Also, mean change from baseline in MOS-HIV physical and mental health summary scores was similar in both arms. CONCLUSIONS: A switch from a long-standing zidovudine- to a non-zidovudine-containing regimen modestly improves haematological parameters and is not associated with obvious clinical benefit.

Risks factors of liver fibrosis in a cohort of intravenous drug users coinfected with HIV and HCV in the HAART era: the role of mixed steatosis.

Factors associated with the occurrence of severe liver fibrosis in HIV/HCV (hepatitis C virus) coinfected patients remain poorly understood. We thus questioned which factors influenced the occurrence of fibrosis in a cohort of HIV/HCV coinfected intravenous drug user patients. HIV/HCV coinfected intravenous drug user patients naive of anti-HCV therapy for whom a liver biopsy was performed between 1996 and 2003 were retrospectively studied in three University hospitals in Paris and the Parisian region. One hundred and fifty two patients (131 men and 21 women; mean age 39.3+/-4.9 years) were studied. Most of them (62%) were treated with HAART. HCV genotypes included type 1 (N=78), type 2 (N=1), type 3 (N=38) and type 4 (N=35). Mean duration of HCV infection was 19.0+/-5.2 years. Sixty-six percent had minimal to moderate fibrosis (F0/F1/F2) and 34% severe fibrosis (F3/F4). Multivariate analysis retained METAVIR activity score (OR=2.60, 95%CI [1.46-4.64]; P=0.001), mixed pattern of steatosis (OR=3.29, 95%CI [1.24-8.71]; P=0.017) and a CD4 cell count<200/mm3 (OR=4.04, 9%CI [1.47-11.12]; P=0.007) as independent factors associated with severe fibrosis. HAART did not influence the occurrence of liver fibrosis. In this cohort of HIV/HCV coinfected intravenous drug user patients, METAVIR activity score, mixed steatosis and a low CD4 cell count were independent factors associated with severe liver fibrosis.

Risk factors for symptomatic mitochondrial toxicity in HIV/hepatitis C virus-coinfected patients during interferon plus ribavirin-based therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence, clinical features, and risk factors for symptomatic mitochondrial toxicity in HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV)-coinfected patients receiving anti-HCV therapy. METHODS: All cases of symptomatic mitochondrial toxicity reported in 416 patients participating in an open, randomized trial of peg-interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin vs. interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin for 48 weeks were reviewed. Associations with antiretroviral treatments and with clinical and laboratory findings were sought by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Eleven of the 383 patients who received at least 1 dose of anti-HCV treatment developed symptomatic mitochondrial toxicity (symptomatic hyperlactatemia and pancreatitis in 6 and 5 patients, respectively). All cases occurred in patients being treated for HIV infection, and the incidence of symptomatic mitochondrial toxicity was 47.5 per 1000 patient-years. In multivariate analysis, symptomatic mitochondrial toxicity was significantly associated with didanosine-containing antiretroviral regimens (odds ratio 46; 95% CI, 7.4 to infinity; P < 0.001), but not with stavudine or with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor regimens not containing didanosine. The incidence of symptomatic mitochondrial toxicity was 200.2 per 1000 patient-years in patients receiving didanosine. Demographic characteristics were not associated with symptomatic mitochondrial toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Coadministration of ribavirin with didanosine should be avoided. If unavoidable, patients should be monitored closely for mitochondrial toxicity. Didanosine should be suspended if clinical signs or symptoms of mitochondrial toxicity occur.

Lung cancer in patients with HIV Infection and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The improved survival of patients since the use of highly active antiretroviral treatments has lead to the reporting of non-AIDS defining tumors, such as lung cancer. METHODS: Analysis of the records of 22 HIV-infected patients with lung cancer (LC) diagnosed in three hospitals located in the Paris area (France). RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were smokers. The patients (86% male, 14% female) had a median age of 45 yr (range, 33-64 yr). Risk factors for HIV infection were intravenous drug use in 5 patients, homosexual transmission in 10 patients, and heterosexual transmission in 7 patients. At diagnosis of LC, seven patients had previously developed a CDC-defined AIDS manifestation, the median CD4 cell count was 364/mm3 (range 20-854/mm3) and median HIV1 RNA viral load was 3000 copies/mL. The most frequent histological subtype was squamous cell carcinoma (11 cases). A stage III-IV disease was observed in 75% of the patients. Only one patient had a small-cell lung carcinoma. Twenty-one patients received combined specific therapy, of which six patients underwent surgery for the LC. The median overall survival was 7 mo. No opportunistic infections occurred during LC therapy. CONCLUSIONS: LC occurs at a young age in HIV-infected smokers. LC is not associated with severe immunodeficiency. The prognosis is poor because of their initial extensive disease and a poor response to therapy. However, surgery appears to improve outcome in much the same way as in the general population.

Time to AIDS from 1992 to 1999 in HIV-1-infected subjects with known date of infection.

To estimate the change in AIDS incubation time during three periods characterized by different availability of antiretroviral treatments, data from the French Hospital Database on HIV of 4702 HIV-1-positive subjects with a documented date of infection were analyzed. Times from seroconversion to AIDS were compared in three periods: period 1 from January 1992 to June 1995 (monotherapy); period 2 from July 1995 to June 1996 (dual therapy); and period 3 from July 1996 to June 1999 (triple therapy). Nonparametric survival analyses were performed to account for staggered entries in the database and during each period. From periods 1 to 3, antiretroviral treatments were initiated earlier after infection, more subjects were treated, and the nature of regimens changed (25.6% of subjects were treated with monotherapy in period 1, 34.6% were treated with dual therapy in period 2, and 53.4% were treated with triple therapy in period 3). Compared with period 1, the relative hazard (RH) of AIDS was 0.31 in period 3 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.24-0.39). When comparing period 3 with period 2, the RH of AIDS was 0.36 (CI: 0.29-0.45). Assuming a log normal distribution, the median time to AIDS was estimated as 8.0 years in period 1 (CI: 6.0-10.6), 9.8 years in period 2 (CI: 8.5, 11.2), and 20.0 years in period 3 (CI: 17.1-23.3). This lengthening in time to AIDS from 1992 to 1999 was particularly marked in the period after the introduction of triple therapy, including protease inhibitors.