[Immunologic response to antiretroviral treatment with combined stavudine, didanosine and nevirapine]. / Réponse immunologique sous traitement antirétroviral associant stavudine, didanosine et névirapine.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the restoration of immune function in patients given two nucleoside-analogs and one non-nucleoside-analog (nevirapine). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was carried out in 27 HIV-1-infected patients, starting a treatment with d4T, ddl and nevirapine, included in the VIRGO trial and followed up to 52 weeks. RESULTS: Total CD4 T cells increased as early as the fourth week of treatment (+154/microliter, p < 0.001) with a gain maintained until week 52 (+201/microliter at week 52). A similar pattern was seen for memory CD4 T cells (+80/microliter at week 4, +110/microliter at week 52). The rise in naive CD4 T cells was slower, strongly significant for week 16 (p < 0.001) and maximum at week 24 (+105/microliter). DISCUSSION: In our study, rise in T cells was not correlated with virological response, however increase in total and naive CD4 T cells was correlated with the CD4 count at onset of therapy (p < 0.05). Our data indicate that patients on d4T-ddl-nevirapine therapy have the same immune restoration as patients given protease inhibitor-based regimens.