Long-term follow-up of antiretroviral-naive HIV-positive patients treated with nevirapine

J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2001 Apr 15;26(5):462-5. doi: 10.1097/00126334-200104150-00009.

Abstract

This article reports on the extended follow-up of 125 antiretroviral (ARV)-naive patients treated with nevirapine (NVP) in the United Kingdom. The patients have been observed for a median of 1.8 years after starting NVP (range, 4 days-2.7 years). Baseline CD4 counts and HIV RNA levels were 210 (interquartile range, 130 - 335) cells/mm3 and 4.86 (range, 4.52-5.26) log10 copies/ml, respectively. Eleven patients (9.0%) developed a rash thought to be related to NVP, of whom 4 permanently discontinued NVP. Twenty-four months after starting NVP, RNA levels had dropped by a median of 2.32 log10 copies/ml and CD4 counts increased by a median of 143 cells/mm3. In all, 96 patients had at least one viral load measured <500 copies/ml, a median of 2.8 months after starting NVP. RNA levels rebounded >500 copies/ml in 37 of these patients, on average 2 years after initial response. In conclusion, in ARV-naive patients, NVP is generally well tolerated and long-term response rates are good.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use*
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy*
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • HIV-1 / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Nevirapine / therapeutic use*
  • RNA, Viral / blood
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • RNA, Viral
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
  • Nevirapine