Switch to maraviroc with darunavir/r, both QD, in patients with suppressed HIV-1 was well tolerated but virologically inferior to standard antiretroviral therapy: 48-week results of a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVES: Primary study outcome was absence of treatment failure (virological failure, VF, or treatment interruption) per protocol at week 48. METHODS: Patients on 3-drug ART with stable HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL and CCR5-tropic virus were randomized 1:1 to maraviroc with darunavir/ritonavir qd (study arm) or continue current ART (continuation arm). RESULTS: In June 2015, 115 patients were evaluable for the primary outcome (56 study, 59 continuation arm). The study was discontinued due to excess of VF in the study arm (7 cases, 12.5%, vs 0 in the continuation arm, p = 0.005). The proportion free of treatment failure was 73.2% in the study and 59.3% in the continuation arm. Two participants in the study and 10 in the continuation arm discontinued therapy due to adverse events (p = 0.030). At VF, no emergent drug resistance was detected. Co-receptor tropism switched to non-R5 in one patient. Patients with VF reported lower adherence and had lower plasma drug levels. Femoral bone mineral density was significantly improved in the study arm. CONCLUSION: Switching to maraviroc with darunavir/ritonavir qd in virologically suppressed patients was associated with improved tolerability but was virologically inferior to 3-drug therapy.

Evaluation of HIV-DNA and inflammatory markers in HIV-infected individuals with different viral load patterns.

BACKGROUND: Persistent residual viremia (RV) and low grade inflammation and immune activation have been associated with non-AIDS defining events. The impact of persistent RV and HIV-DNA load on immune activation/inflammation remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to gain new insights into the relation between viremia, markers of inflammation and HIV-DNA levels. METHODS: Three hundred and twenty-one HIV-infected patients were studied. A retrospective analysis of viremia values, prospectively collected for 48 months, was performed. Patients were separated into three groups: 113 TND (Target Not Detected, patients with sustained undetectable viremia); 113 RV (Residual Viremia, patients who had at least three detectable viral load (VL) values <37 copies/ml); 95 LLV (Low Level Viremia, patients with at least two VL values >37 but <200 copies/ml). HIV-DNA, TNF-α, IL-6 and sCD14 were analyzed. RESULTS: HIV-DNA, sCD14 and TNF-α were significantly lower in the TND group than in the RV and LLV groups. In addition, RV patients showed lower levels of HIV-DNA and sCD14 than LLV individuals. HIV-DNA load was not related to markers of inflammation. The ordinal logistic analysis showed that two independent variables were significantly associated with VL pattern: sCD14, HIV-DNA. In addition NRTIs plus NNRTIs and NRTIs plus PIs were negatively associated to VL pattern compared to INI-containing regimen. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent undetectable viremia was associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers and HIV-DNA. However, the lack of normalization of these biomarkers in the TND group and the fact that HIV-DNA load was not associated with inflammation strongly suggest that other mechanisms play a major role in maintaining inflammation over time.

Lack of association of Chlamydia pneumoniae with cardiovascular diseases in virologically suppressed HIV patients.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public health problem in developed countries with over 17 million deaths per year. In the last decade, several infectious agents rather than any single pathogen, including Chlamydia pneumoniae and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), have been shown to contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular events by inducing systemic inflammation and/or acting directly on the vascular wall. For the first time, we evaluated C. pneumonia DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV patients by real-time polymerase chain reaction in order to shed light on C. pneumonia as a co-factor with HIV in the development of CVDs. C. pneumonia DNA was not detected in our virologically suppressed HIV patients (<37 copies/mL). This finding may be related to high CD4+T cell count (>500 cells/µl) found in HIV patients suggesting functional cell-mediated immunity as a fundamental mechanism for the clearance of chlamydial infection in this population. Larger studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Usefulness of calcaneal quantitative ultrasound stiffness for the evaluation of bone health in HIV-1-infected subjects: comparison with dual X-ray absorptiometry.

OBJECTIVES: With the development of effective treatments and the resulting increase in life expectancy, bone mineral density (BMD) alteration has emerged as an important comorbidity in human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals. The potential contributors to the pathogenesis of osteopenia/osteoporosis include a higher prevalence of risk factors, combined antiretroviral therapy (cART)-exposure, HIV-1 itself and chronic immune activation/inflammation. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the "gold standard" technique for assessing bone status in HIV-1 population. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate bone mineral status in a group of 158 HIV-1-infected subjects. The primary endpoint was the feasibility of calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS) as a screening tool for BMD. All subjects were receiving stable cART and were virologically suppressed (HIV-RNA <37 copies/mL) from at least 12 months. Calcaneal QUS parameters were analyzed to obtain information on bone mass and microarchitecture. The results were compared with those obtained by DXA. RESULTS: No correlations were found between DXA/QUS parameters and demographic or HIV-1-specific characteristics, also including cART strategies. In the univariate analyses BMD, QUS indexes, and Fracture Risk Assessment Tool scores conversely showed significant associations with one or more demographic or HIV-1-related variables. Moreover, a significant relationship between calcaneal quantitative ultrasound index/stiffness and femoral/lumbar BMD values from DXA was described. The multivariate analysis showed an independent association between calcaneal quantitative ultrasound index/stiffness and body mass index, higher CD4+ T-cell numbers and low 25-OH D2/D3 vitamin D levels <10 ng/mL (P-values: 0.004, 0.016, and 0.015, respectively). CONCLUSION: As an alternative and/or integrative examination to DXA, calcaneal QUS could be proposed as a useful screening in HIV-1-infected patients for assessing bone health impairment. In fact, the results obtained confirm that calcaneal QUS may be useful for monitoring bone status, being a noninvasive and inexpensive technique, especially in those subjects with the classical traditional risk factors for bone damage that were observed earlier in HIV-1 population.

Comparative Analysis of Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Methods to Typing HLA-B*57:01 in HIV-1-Positive Patients.

The HLA-B*57:01 allele is strongly associated with the hypersensitivity reaction to Abacavir (ABC). Therefore, treatment guidelines recommend that patients initiating ABC are preventively tested for the presence of this allele. To date, four different commercial assays based on the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) technique are available for the detection of HLA-B*57:01: Duplicα-RealTime Reagent Set HLA-B*57:01 by Euroclone, HLA-B*57:01 Real-TM by Sacace Biotechnologies, COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HLA-B*57:01 Screening Test by Roche Diagnostic, and HLA-B*57:01 by Nuclear Laser Medicine. The study was carried out to compare the performance of the first three commercially available Q-PCR kits in a routine clinical setting. A total of 98 samples from Policlinico Umberto I Hospital were tested. Results obtained by the Duplicα-RealTime Genotyping kit and AmpliPrep/TaqMan system were 100% concordant. In contrast, genotyping by the HLA-B*57:01 Real-TM kit showed poor agreement with the other systems, that is, 12 out of 33 positive samples were detected as HLA-B*57:01 negative. To confirm the correct genotype of these discordant samples, two additional methods with rapid turnaround times and already implemented into routine clinical practice were used, that is, a PCR-based microsequence-specific primer DNA typing test and a laboratory-developed screening test in Q-PCR. All 12 discordant samples were genotyped as HLA-B*57:01-positive samples using these two additional methods in a single-blinded manner, thus confirming the low sensitivity of HLA-B*57:01 Real-TM test. These findings underline the need to compare results obtained with commercial assays before choosing a test suitable for use in a routine clinical laboratory.

Reduced Plasma Levels of sCD14 and I-FABP in HIV-infected Patients with Mesalazine-treated Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND: Microbial translocation (MT) is a shared feature of HIV infection and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). AIMS: This study was conducted to assess the impact of IBD (and particularly ulcerative colitis, UC) on plasma markers of MT and immune activation in HIV+ subjects. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 groups of patients: HIV+/UC+(group HIV/UC); HIV+/UC- (group HIV); HIV-/UC+(group UC). Plasma levels of soluble CD14 (sCD14), intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), and endotoxin core antibodies (endoCAB) were measured as plasma markers of MT. Inflammation and immune activation were evaluated by measuring plasma levels of IL-6, IL-21, TNF-alpha, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). T- and B-cells subpopulations were characterized by FACS analysis. RESULTS: Seven patients were enrolled in group HIV/UC, 9 in HIV, and 10 in UC. All HIV-positive patients had plasma values of HIV-1 RNA<37 copies/mL for at least 12 months and good immunological recovery. All patients with UC were treated with oral mesalazine. Markers of MT, immune activation, and inflammation were not increased in subjects with HIV/UC. In fact, they had lower levels of I-FABP (p=0.001) and sCD14 (p=0.007) when compared to other patients groups. Positive correlations were found between I-FABP and sCD14 (r=.355, p=0.076). Frequency of T- and B-cell subsets did not differ among groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that UC does not worsen MT, inflammation, or immune activation in HIV-infected subjects. The anti-inflammatory activity of chronic mesalazine administration on intestinal mucosa may contribute to this finding.

An oral high dose of cholecalciferol restores vitamin D status in deficient postmenopausal HIV-1-infected women independently of protease inhibitors therapy: a pilot study.

The best repletion and maintenance dosing regimens with cholecalciferol in vitamin D-deficient HIV-1 patients remain unknown. Protease inhibitors (PIs) have been shown to inhibit vitamin D 1α- and 25α-hydroxylation in hepatocyte and monocyte cultures. We therefore evaluated the effect of a single high dose of cholecalciferol in vitamin D-deficient HIV-1 postmenopausal women undergoing treatment with highly active anti-retroviral therapy (cART), with and without PIs. Forty HIV-1 postmenopausal women treated with cART, with hypovitaminosis D (<20 ng/ml), were enrolled. We measured serum changes of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]; 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], parathyroid hormone (PTH), serum calcium, and urinary calcium excretion following a loading dose of 600,000 IU of cholecalciferol after 3, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days. Patients were divided into two groups, whether or not they were taking PI. A significant increase in mean 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D levels at day 3 and throughout the entire observation period was found in both groups (p < 0.001). PTH levels concomitantly decreased in both groups (p < 0.001). Mean albumin-adjusted serum calcium increases with respect to baseline were significant only at day 3 and day 30 for both groups (p < 0.01). Considering remaining parameters, there were no significant differences between the groups at any time, by two-way RM ANOVA. An oral dose of 600,000 IU of cholecalciferol in HIV-1 postmenopausal women rapidly increases 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D levels reducing PTH levels, regardless of the presence of PIs in the cART scheme.

Backbone switch to abacavir/lamivudine fixed-dose combination: implications for antiretroviral therapy optimization.

Current guidelines recommend treatment optimization in virologically suppressed patients through switching/ simplification strategies to minimize long-term toxicities and improve adherence. The assessment of inflammation/ coagulation profiles may support therapeutic decisions. We undertook a prospective, non-randomized study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of switching to ABC/3TC from ZDV/3TC or TDF/FTC backbones, in 40 HIV-1 infected patients with HIV-RNA levels <37 copies/mL (>24 months). Main endpoints were viral load levels, CD4+ T cells and toxicities after 48 weeks. Serum inflammation/coagulation markers (ESR, CRP, D-dimer and fibrinogen) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, adiponectin, resistin) were evaluated. Baseline characteristics were similar in the two arms, with significantly lower values of e-GFR in patients on TDF/FTC. Markers of inflammation/ coagulation and cytokine profile were also similar, except for higher values of resistin in patients on TDF/ FTC. During follow up, CD4+ T cells increased and viral load remained undetectable in both groups. Patient from ZDV/3TC had significantly greater changes in total cholesterol and serum creatinine. Markers of inflammation/ coagulation remained unchanged. Adiponectin significantly increased in patients from ZDV/3TC. Switching to ABC/3TC was effective and safe. Inflammatory markers remained low in both groups. Some changes in metabolic, kidney and cytokine profiles were apparently specific for baseline cART treatment.

HIV-1 induces in vivo platelet activation by enhancing platelet NOX2 activity.

OBJECTIVES: HIV-1 patients show increased platelet activation, but the mechanisms involved are not completely clarified. We speculated that HIV-1 might induce in vivo platelet activation by enhancing platelet NOX2-related oxidative stress. METHODS: We measured soluble CD40 Ligand (sCD40L), a systemic marker of platelet activation, in 36 HIV-1 patients under effective combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) and in 10 naïve HIV-1 subjects. As control, 20 healthy subjects (HS) were included. Platelet oxidative stress was measured by platelet NOX2-derived peptide (sNOX2-dp), p47(phox) translocation to platelet membrane and platelet prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α). RESULTS: sCD40L was increased both in HIV-1 naïve and cART patients compared to HS (p < 0.001). Platelet sNOX2-dp and 8-iso-PGF2α were significantly higher in HIV-1 naïve subjects compared to those on cART and to HS, and both were mutually correlated (R = 0.734, p < 0.001). A stepwise multivariable linear regression analysis showed that platelet sNOX2-dp (ß: 0.803, p < 0.001), HIV-1 infection (ß: 0.146, p = 0.014) and age (ß: 0.166, p = 0.001) were independently associated to sCD40L levels. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-1 infection is associated with increased platelet oxidative stress, which was related to the activation of NOX2. The independent association between platelet NOX2 activation and plasma levels of sCD40L suggest that in vivo platelet activation may be dependent upon platelet oxidative stress.

Trends in drug resistance-associated mutations in a real-life cohort of Italian patients infected with HIV-1.

Recent studies support the idea that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) drug resistance is declining in developed countries. To help assess the current situation in Italy, the dynamics of drug resistance mutations in pol and integrase genes in plasma samples from HIV-1-positive patients attending Sapienza University Hospital, Rome, from 2003 to 2014 were analysed. In total, 1730 genotype resistance tests (GRTs) were retrospectively analysed. The prevalence of major drug resistance mutations (DRMs) was evaluated over time in the global population and in patients with antiretroviral therapy (ART) failure. Population dynamics, changes in ART administration, and HIV-1 RNA levels were analysed in combination with DRM trends. The global population showed a strong reduction in major DRMs to all drug classes. Over the 2003-2014 decade, resistance to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and protease inhibitors (PIs) declined from 80.0% to 18.7%, from 42.8% to 20.1% and from 74.2% to 8.3%, respectively (P<0.005 for all comparisons). However, only PI-associated mutations showed a significant decrease in patients experiencing ART failure. Interestingly, analysis of the integrase gene disclosed an increased resistance to integrase inhibitors, mainly regarding N155H, detected in 32.6% of raltegravir-treated patients in 2012-2014. In conclusion, in line with previous findings, this study shows that drug resistance is declining in Italy. However, the persistence of DRMs to NRTIs and NNRTIs suggests that despite adherence and treatment optimisation, some patients still experience therapy failure, emphasising the need for GRTs both in naïve and ART-failed patients.

Safety and therapeutic efficacy of the switch to maraviroc+darunavir/ritonavir in HIV/HCV coinfected patients: initial results from GUSTA study.

INTRODUCTION: HIV/HCV coinfection is a risk factor for hepatic injury in patients receiving HAART and previous studies support a favourable effect of antiretroviral regimens including maraviroc (MVC) on the course of coinfection compared with other antiretroviral drugs. There are few observations about MVC use in simplified treatment of coinfected patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and the safety of simplification to darunavir (DRV)/ritonavir (r)/maraviroc (MVC) in virologically HIV-suppressed patients and to explore the effect of simplified treatment on coinfected patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: GUSTA study is a randomized two arms trial that compares the switch to DRV/r/MVC with standard HAART with three drugs. The study enrols patients with HIV-1 RNA<50cp/mL>6 months, R5 tropism, CD4>200 cells/mm. Survival analysis was used to analyze factors associated to time-to a single viral load (VL) over 50cp/mL and FIB-4>1.45. RESULTS: We included 62 patients with at least the 24 week follow-up for FIB-4 analysis: males 75.8%, heterosexuals 48.4%, HCV+12.9% median age 48.3 years (IQR41.1;53.5), time from HIV diagnosis 11.0 years (IQR7.3;16.7), CD4 cells 659/mm (IQR478;882), nadir CD4 203/mm (IQR115;286), FPR 46 (IQR30;70), baseline (BL) FIB-4 1.11 (IQR0.75;1.35). At BL no differences were observed in the two arms, except for platelets (-34.96 109/L, in the study arm, p=0.028) and CD4 at nadir (-70cell/µL, p0.051). After 24 weeks a significant reduction in total bilirubin (TB) (-0.55 mg/dL, p=0.025) and alkaline phosphatase(AP) (-12.96 UI/L, p=0.002) was observed in the study group. A statistically significant difference in mean change of TB (0.61 mg/dL, p=0.016) and AP (13.23 UI/L, p=0.04) at 24 week between control and study group was observed. No grade 3/4 transaminase elevation was observed for any patient even if HIV/HCV coinfected and receiving MVC. A single HCV negative patient in the control arm had grade 3 bilirubin increase. Including all patients with at least one follow-up HCV status was not associated with an increased risk of detectable VL (n=114, 4072 person-week-follow-up [IQR12;51.6]), nor with FIB-4>1.45 (n=98, 3513 person-week-follow-up [IQR11.4;50.9]). CONCLUSIONS: The initial results from GUSTA study show that ART-regimen including MVC did not increase the incidence of adverse events or severe laboratory liver abnormalities in HIV-1-infected patients with or without HCV coinfection. Coinfected patients did not show an increased risk of failure on simplification treatment with MVC/DRV/r.

Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis bacteraemia in an HIV-1 patient with HBV/HCV co-infections: case report and literature review.

Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) is a common pathogen in animals and generally considered a rare cause of infection in humans. Recently, epidemiological studies demonstrated an increasing number of severe infections, including bacteraemia and endocarditis, caused by SDSE, mainly in predisposed hosts, immunocompromised by underlying conditions. Even though the immune status seems to play an important role in the appearance of SDSE infections, this microorganism has been rarely described as a pathogen in HIV-1 infected subjects. An extensive review of the literature on this pathogen is reported, with a description of a case of SDSE bacteraemia associated to septic arthritis with soft tissue infection in a patient with HIV-1 disease and chronic hepatitis due to HCV and HBV co-infections.

Dolutegravir: clinical efficacy and role in HIV therapy.

The human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) integrase enzyme has recently emerged as a primary alternative target to block viral replication, and integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are now considered an alternative 'third agent' class of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Dolutegravir is the first next-generation INSTI showing some novel and intriguing characteristics: it has a favorable pharmacokinetic profile with a prolonged intracellular halflife, rendering feasible a once daily dosing without the need for pharmacokinetic boosting. Secondly, it is largely metabolized via uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase-1A1 with a minor component of cytochrome P450 isoforms, thus allowing a low grade of drug-drug interactions, so that its metabolic profile consents co-administration with the majority of the other ARV drugs without dose adjustments. Lastly, but no less important, virological studies have clearly demonstrated that dolutegravir has a significant activity against HIV-1 isolates showing raltegravir and/or elvitegravir associated resistance mutations. The attributes of once daily administration and the potential to treat INSTI-resistant viruses make dolutegravir an interesting and promising new agent in the treatment of both naïve and experienced HIV-1 subjects. In this review, the main concerns on dolutegravir efficacy are focused through the analysis of the currently available data from clinical studies in naïve and experienced patients, evaluating its possible place within the anti-HIV-1 drug armamentarium. The development of newer once daily, single tablet coformulations improved drug adherence and maximized the success of ARV therapy. Pharmacokinetic studies and dose-ranging trials suggested that dolutegravir is a good candidate for a single tablet regimen in one or more new coformulated pills that will be available in the near future.

Guillain Barre syndrome in an HIV-1-infected patient after the beginning of combined antiretroviral therapy: an immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome?

HIV-1-associated Guillan-Barre syndrome (hGBS) is an ascendant progressive polyradiculoneuropathy described throughout the course of the viral disease, mainly associated with the acute retroviral syndrome. HGBS is occasionally described in severely immunocompromised subjects in the context of the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. The case described occurred soon after the start of a combined antiretroviral treatment in an HIV-1 infected patient with ulcerative colitis in the absence of severe immunosuppression. This manifestation may be interpreted as an uncommon appearance of an immune reconstitution syndrome in the presence of a predisposing autoimmune pathology.

Potential benefit of dolutegravir once daily: efficacy and safety.

The viral integrase enzyme has recently emerged as a primary alternative target to block HIV-1 replication, and integrase inhibitors are considered a pivotal new class of antiretroviral drugs. Dolutegravir is an investigational next-generation integrase inhibitor showing some novel and intriguing characteristics, ie, it has a favorable pharmacokinetic profile with a prolonged intracellular half-life, rendering feasible once-daily dosing without the need for ritonavir boosting and without regard to meals. Moreover, dolutegravir is primarily metabolized via uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltranferase 1A1, with a minor component of the cytochrome P450 3A4 isoform, thereby limiting drug-drug interactions. Furthermore, its metabolic profile enables coadministration with most of the other available antiretroviral agents without dose adjustment. Recent findings also demonstrate that dolutegravir has significant activity against HIV-1 isolates with resistance mutations associated with raltegravir and/or elvitegravir. The attributes of once-daily administration and the potential to treat integrase inhibitor-resistant viruses make dolutegravir an interesting and promising investigational drug. In this review, the main concerns about the efficacy and safety of dolutegravir as well as its resistance profile are explored by analysis of currently available data from preclinical and clinical studies.

No evidence of autoimmune disorders in antiretroviral-experienced HIV-1-infected individuals after long-term treatment with raltegravir.

BACKGROUND: The HIV integrase inhibitor raltegravir (RAL) can exacerbate autoimmune diseases in genetically predisposed mice. To evaluate whether this may occur in clinical practice, we clinically monitored HIV-positive patients treated with RAL and measured a panel of autoantibodies (auto-Abs) during the first year of RAL treatment. METHODS: This was a longitudinal study in 109 antiretroviral-experienced patients who started a RAL-based regimen and were followed up for more than 2 years. A total of 45 patients were tested at baseline (before starting RAL) and after 12 months for the presence of the following auto-Abs: anti-nuclear antibodies, anti-double-stranded DNA, anti-smooth-muscle antibodies, anti-thyreoglobulin and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies, anti-cardiolipin immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M and anti-nuclear extractable antigens, including anti-SM ribonucleoprotein antigen, anti-Ro antigen and anti-La antigen. RESULTS: A low rate of clinically relevant autoimmune diseases was observed at study entry (3/109; 2.8%; 95% CI 0.004, 0.059). No exacerbations were observed during follow-up. During the second year of RAL-based therapy a previously healthy patient developed psoriasis. At baseline, 17/45 (37.8%) patients tested for the presence of auto-Abs were positive. Most patients (n=13) were positive for anti-cardiolipin. After 12 months of RAL exposure, 9/45 patients were positive (20%; P=0.063). A positive correlation was found between HIV-1 RNA and anti-cardiolipin antibody concentration (P=0.010). CONCLUSIONS: According to these results, RAL does not promote antibody-mediated immune disorders, at least not in the mid-term. A prolonged follow-up and an extension of the panel of auto-Abs are recommended to support these results.

Rate and determinants of treatment response to different antiretroviral combination strategies in subjects presenting at HIV-1 diagnosis with advanced disease.

BACKGROUND: The optimal therapeutic strategies for patients presenting with advanced disease at HIV-1 diagnosis are as yet incompletely defined. METHODS: All patients presenting at two outpatient clinics in 2000-2009 with an AIDS-defining clinical condition or a CD4+ T cell count < 200/µL at HIV-1 diagnosis were analyzed for the presence of combined immunovirological response, defined by the concomitant presence of an absolute number of CD4+ T cells > 200 cells/µL and a plasma HIV-1 RNA copy number < 50/mL after 12 months of HAART. RESULTS: Among 102 evaluable patients, first-line regimens were protease inhibitors [PI]-based in 78 cases (77%) and efavirenz-based in 24 cases (23%). The overall response rate was 65% (95% CI: 55-74), with no differences by gender, age, nationality, route of transmission, hepatitis virus coinfections, presence of AIDS-defining clinical events, baseline HIV-1 viral load, or type of regimen (response rates with PI-based and efavirenz-based therapy: 63% and 71%, respectively, p = 0.474). Response rate was significantly better with higher baseline CD4+ T cell counts (78% with CD4+ ≥ 100/µL, compared to 50% with CD4+ < 100/µL; odds ratio: 3.5; 95% CI: 1.49-8.23, p = 0.003). Median time on first-line antiretroviral therapy was 24 months (interquartile range: 12-48). Switch to a second line treatment occurred in 57% of patients, mainly for simplification (57%), and was significantly more common with PI-based regimens [adjusted hazard ratios (AHR) with respect to efavirenz-based regimens: 3.88 for unboosted PIs (95% CI: 1.40-10.7, p = 0.009) and 4.21 for ritonavir-boosted PI (95% CI 1.7-10.4, p = 0.002)] and in older subjects (≥ 50 years) (AHR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.02-3.31, p = 0.044). Overall mortality was low (3% after a median follow up of 48 months). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that a favorable immunovirological response is possible in the majority of naive patients presenting at HIV-1 diagnosis with AIDS or low CD4+ T cell counts, and confirm that starting HAART with a more compromised immune system may be associated with a delayed and sometimes partial immune recovery. Simpler regimens may be preferable in this particular population.

Management of HIV-1 associated hepatitis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: role of a successful control of viral replication.

In HIV-1 infected patients, increase of liver enzymes may be mainly due to viral coinfections, alcohol intake, hepatotoxic drugs or autoimmune diseases. Three cases of aminotransferase elevation occurred during a phase of uncontrolled viral replication combined with a severe immunodeficiency and resolved by an effective HAART are described, focusing on the etio-pathogenetic role possibly played by HIV-1 infection.

Mutational resistance pattern of HIV type 1 in CD14+ monocytes, CD4+ T cells, and plasma from treated patients.

It is necessary to understand the molecular nature of the virus population that persists in cellular reservoirs. To achieve this we planned to characterize the patterns of resistance of HIV-1 in CD14(+) monocytes, CD4(+) T cells, and plasma. Blood samples were collected from 42 patients treated for HIV: 32 were in virological failure and in 10 viremia was undetectable. CD14(+) and CD4(+) T cells were isolated using magnetic beads. Genotyping of the reverse transcriptase and protease gene of HIV-1 was undertaken using the fluorescent dideoxy-terminator method. Of the 32 patients in virological failure, 24 (75%) had resistance mutations in at least one compartment. The numbers and types of mutations from monocytes were the same as those detected in both CD4(+) T cell-associated virus and plasma in only 8% whereas in 71% monocytes exhibited a different mutation pattern. In 21% of patients, the profile of drug-resistant mutations in the virus from blood monocytes was identical to that in plasma but differed from that in CD4. In the 71% of patients with virological suppression, the genotypic resistance pattern differed between monocytes and CD4(+) T cells. Circulating monocytes may harbor a viral dominant population different from those viruses circulating in blood and archived in CD4(+) T cells. Hence, monocytes and other cellular reservoirs might serve as an indirect source of a drug-resistant viral variant.

[Immunorecovery after prolonged HIV-related immunosuppression: opportunities of the new antiretroviral classes]. / Immunoricostituzione dopo prolungata immunosoppressione HIV-correlata: le opportunità dei nuovi schemi antiretrovirali.

Treatment of multi-drug experienced patients is an important concern in the management of HIV-1 disease, partially solved by the availability of new drugs acting at different phases of viral replication. Immune recovery during cART is linked both to the activity of antiviral drugs, as well as to the regenerative capability of thymus and bone marrow. We report a patient with a 22-year-old HIV-1 disease and an AIDS diagnosis for 15 years, with extensive resistance to all antiretroviral drugs, who never had treatment interruption, except for short spells due to adverse effects. This decision was supported by both findings elsewhere that interruptions of cART in experienced patients with advanced disease are strongly associated with more rapid disease progression and by our evaluation of his bone marrow activity. The colony-forming cells assay performed in the patient showed residual clonogenic capability, increased in vitro by addition of protease inhibitors and IL-2. A new therapeutic scheme including darunavir and maraviroc allowed dramatic changes leading both to a quick reduction in plasmatic viral load with an impressive immune reconstitution and an improvement in clinical conditions.