HIV Digest	HIV Digest Archive

Investigators evaluated the prevalence of adverse events in 1,160 patients who were receiving antiretroviral treatment for HIV infection. They measured the toxic effects associated with various regimens: protease inhibitor (PI), non-nucleoside and nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor, and specific compounds. Data were obtained from outpatients in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study using a structured interview and laboratory analyses to identify and describe all potential adverse events attributed to treatment.

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The Swiss HIV Cohort Study is a prospective cohort study of individuals with HIV-1 who were followed up in one of seven Swiss clinics. Patients were identified by the type of antiretroviral regimen they were on. Patients who had changed their regimen in the last 30 days were excluded from the study. According to the authors, "Physicians explicitly asked patients if symptoms listed in the questionnaire had arisen within the 30 days preceding the visit. Potential adverse events were scored according to severity (1=mild, 2=moderate, 3=severe, 4=serious) and the likelihood of resulting from antiretroviral treatment (unlikely, possible, probable, and certain)."

The results of the study indicated that 47 percent of patients had clinical adverse affects from antiretroviral combination therapy. Nine percent of effects were graded as serious or severe. Twenty-seven percent of laboratory results showed adverse effects, and 16 percent of these were rated serious or severe. The more drugs taken in combination, the lower the HIV levels but the higher the likelihood of side effects.

According to the investigators, "It should be underscored that more than two-thirds of patients might have complaints if precisely questioned and that adverse events have an effect on adherence and on development of viral resistance, which might lead to treatment discontinuation or failure."

Editor's Note: from The Lancet