Drug-resistance development differs between HIV-1-infected patients failing first-line antiretroviral therapy containing nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors with and without thymidine analogues.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the emergence of drug resistance in patients failing first-line regimens containing one nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) administered with zidovudine (ZDV) + lamivudine (the ZDV group) or non-thymidine analogues (non-TAs) (tenofovir or abacavir, + lamivudine or emtricitabine; the non-TA group). METHODS: Three hundred HIV-1-infected patients failing a first-line NNRTI-containing regimen (nevirapine, n = 148; efavirenz, n = 152) were included in the analysis. Virological failure was defined as viraemia ≥ 400 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL for the first time at least 6 months after starting the NNRTI-based regimen. For each patient, a genotypic resistance test at failure was available. The presence of drug-resistance mutations in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase was evaluated by comparing patients treated with NNRTI + zidovudine + lamivudine vs. those treated with NNRTI + non-TA. RESULTS: A total of 208 patients were failing with NNRTI + zidovudine + lamivudine and 92 with NNRTI + non-TA. No significant differences were observed between the non-TA group and the ZDV group regarding the time of virological failure [median (interquartile range): 12 (8-25) vs. 13 (9-32) months, respectively; P = 0.119] and viraemia [median (interquartile range): 4.0 (3.2-4.9) vs. 4.0 (3.3-4.7) log10 copies/mL, respectively; P = 0.894]. Resistance to reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs) occurred at a significant lower frequency in the non-TA group than in the ZDV group (54.3 vs. 75.5%, respectively; P = 0.001). This difference was mainly attributable to a significantly lower prevalence of NNRTI resistance (54.3 vs. 74.0%, respectively; P = 0.002) and of the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) mutation M184V (23.9 vs. 63.5%, respectively; P < 0.001) in the non-TA group compared with the ZDV group. As expected, the mutation K65R was found only in the non-TA group (18.5%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: At first-line regimen failure, a lower prevalence of RTI resistance was found in patients treated with NNRTI + non-TA compared with those treated with NNRTI + zidovudine + lamivudine. These results confirm that the choice of backbone may influence the prevalence of drug resistance at virological failure.

Therapeutic drug monitoring and the inhibitory quotient of antiretroviral drugs: can they be applied to the current situation?

Therapeutic drug monitoring is attracting growing interest as a means of increasing the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy and of decreasing its toxicity, although data supporting this strategy are still scarce. Currently, nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NARTI) are not candidates because their effect depends on their active intracellular form and not on plasma concentration. Protease inhibitors (PI) and non-nucleoside analogue reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NNARTI) meet the criteria for therapeutic drug monitoring. The main limitations are that the parameters to be monitored in order to measure exposure to the drug and the effective concentration of the drug have not been well defined. The few studies performed in treatment-naive patients have demonstrated that monitoring improves therapeutic efficacy. This strategy will be particularly useful when the risk of subtherapeutic or toxic concentrations is especially high (pharmacokinetic interactions, intestinal malabsorption, adverse effects, virological failure without obvious cause, pregnancy, children). Although it remains to be standardized, the inhibitory quotient integrates pharmacological and virological parameters and is useful in patients with prior virological failure. Any therapeutic drug monitoring program should be accompanied by measures to monitor and improve treatment adherence. There are good reasons to believe that therapeutic drug monitoring can be useful to improve treatment in specific circumstances. However, before its widespread use as a routine method can be recommended, the parameters to be used should be standardized and studies with appropriate methodology should be performed to define the role of therapeutic drug monitoring in distinct clinical situations.

Interaction of nucleoside inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with the concentrative nucleoside transporter-1 (SLC28A1).

Human concentrative nucleoside transporter-1 (hCNT1) (SLC28A1) is a widely expressed, high-affinity, pyrimidine-preferring, nucleoside transporter implicated in the uptake of naturally occurring pyrimidine nucleosides as well as a variety of derivatives used in anticancer treatment. Its putative role in the uptake of other pyrimidine nucleoside analogues with antiviral properties has not been studied in detail to date. Here, using a hCNT1 stably transfected cell line and the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique, we have assessed the interaction of selected pyrimidine-based antiviral drugs, inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase such as zidovudine (AZT), stavudine (d4T), lamivudine (3TC) and zalcitabine (ddC), with hCNT1. hCNT1 transports AZT and d4T with low affinity, whereas 3TC and ddC are not translocated, the latter being able to bind the transporter protein. Selectivity appears to rely mostly upon the presence of a hydroxyl group in the 3'-position of the ribose ring. Thus, hCNT1 cannot be considered a broad-selectivity pyrimidine nucleoside carrier; in fact, very slight changes in substrate structure provoke a dramatic shift in selectivity.

Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors: a review on pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety and tolerability.

INTRODUCTION: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type-1 non-nucleoside and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are key drugs of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the clinical management of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)/HIV infection. DISCUSSION: First-generation NNRTIs, nevirapine (NVP), delavirdine (DLV) and efavirenz (EFV) are drugs with a low genetic barrier and poor resistance profile, which has led to the development of new generations of NNRTIs. Second-generation NNRTIs, etravirine (ETR) and rilpivirine (RPV) have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and European Union, and the next generation of drugs is currently being clinically developed. This review describes recent clinical data, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, pharmacodynamics, safety and tolerability of commercialized NNRTIs, including the effects of sex, race and age differences on pharmacokinetics and safety. Moreover, it summarizes the characteristics of next-generation NNRTIs: lersivirine, GSK 2248761, RDEA806, BILR 355 BS, calanolide A, MK-4965, MK-1439 and MK-6186. CONCLUSIONS: This review presents a wide description of NNRTIs, providing useful information for researchers interested in this field, both in clinical use and in research.

Inhibition of HIV-1 enzymes, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Plectranthus barbatus.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Plectranthus barbatus is widely used in African countries as an herbal remedy to manage HIV/AIDS and related conditions. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the HIV-1 inhibitory, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of P. barbatus and thereby provide empirical evidence for the apparent anecdotal success of the extracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethanolic extract of P. barbatus's leaves was screened against two HIV-1 enzymes: protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT). Cytotoxicity of the extract was determined through measuring tetrazolium dye uptake of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the TZM-bl cell line. Confirmatory assays for cytotoxicity were performed using flow cytometry and real-time cell electronic sensing (RT-CES). The free radical scavenging activity of the extract was investigated with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl while the anti-inflammatory properties of the plant extract were investigated using a Th1/Th2/Th17 cytometric bead array technique. RESULTS: P. barbatus extract inhibited HIV-1PR and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 62.0 µg/ml. The extract demonstrated poor inhibition of HIV-1 RT. Cytotoxicity testing presented CC50 values of 83.7 and 50.4 µg/ml in PBMCs and TZM-bl respectively. In addition, the extract stimulated proliferation in HIV negative and positive PBMCs treated. RT-CES also registered substantial TZM-bl proliferation after extract treatment. The extract exhibited strong antioxidant activity with an IC50 of 16 µg/ml and reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines indicating anti-inflammatory potential. CONCLUSION: This is the first demonstration of the in vitro anti HIV-1 potential of P. barbatus including direct activity as well as through the stimulation of protective immune and inflammation responses. The low cytotoxicity of the extract is also in agreement with the vast anecdotal use of this plant in treating various ailments with no reported side-effects.