Category Archives: Treatment
Relative risk of renal disease among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has substantially decreased mortality and HIV-related morbidity. However, other morbidities appear to be more common among PLHIV than in the general population. This study aimed to estimate...
Impact of hepatitis C virus on immune restoration in HIV-infected patients who start highly active antiretroviral therapy: A meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: There are conflicting data in the medical literature regarding the degree of immune restoration (as measured by CD4 cell count) in patients who commence highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)...
Therapeutic drug monitoring and drug-drug interactions involving antiretroviral drugs
The consensus of current international guidelines for the treatment of HIV infection is that data on therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and protease inhibitors (Pls)...
Three- or four- versus two-drug antiretroviral maintenance regimens for HIV infection
BACKGROUND: Combination antiretroviral therapy administered to HIV-infected individuals has been shown to improve immunologic function and delay the progression of HIV infection. However, because patient adherence to complicated combination-therapy antiretroviral...
Use of anti-retroviral therapy in tuberculosis patients on second-line anti-TB regimens: A systematic review
INTRODUCTION: Use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) during treatment of drug susceptible tuberculosis (TB) improves survival. However, data from HIV infected individuals with drug resistant TB are lacking. Second line TB...
The validity of the modification of diet in renal disease formula in HIV-infected patients: A systematic review
RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Renal dysfunction is highly prevalent in HIV-infected patients and may require dose adjustment of renally excreted antiretroviral drugs. The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD)-4...
Zidovudine (AZT) versus AZT plus didanosine (ddI) versus AZT plus zalcitabine (ddC) in HIV infected adults
BACKGROUND: Zidovudine (AZT) monotherapy was the first antiretroviral drug to be tested widely. The next two drugs to be developed were didanosine (ddI) and zalcitabine (ddC). OBJECTIVES: To assess the...
A systematic review examining whether interventions are effective in reducing cognitive delay in children infected and affected with HIV
Cognitive delay has been recorded in children infected and affected by HIV. This finding is well established, yet few countries report provision of special educational interventions for this group of...
The paradigm of universal access to HIV-treatment and human rights violation: How do we treat HIV-positive people who use drugs?
HIV-positive people who use drugs (PWUDs) are particularly vulnerable for suboptimal access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We conducted a systematic review to identify factors associated with suboptimal HAART...
Early mortality in adults initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC): A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: We systematically reviewed observational studies of early mortality post-antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, as defined by...
