Category Archives: Treatment
Mortality of patients lost to follow-up in antiretroviral treatment programmes in resource-limited settings: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: The retention of patients in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes is an important issue in resource-limited settings. Loss to follow up can be substantial, but it is unclear what the...
Prevalence, severity, and duration of thrombocytopenia among HIV patients in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy
Thrombocytopenia is a clinically relevant outcome in HIV. However, the epidemiology of this condition, including frequency, severity, and duration, has not been well-characterized in the era of highly active antiretroviral...
Etravirine (TMC-125): The evidence for its place in the treatment of HIV-1 infection
Introduction: Etravirine is a novel nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) specifically designed to suppress the replication of viruses resistant to the three currently approved NNRTIs efavirenz, nevirapine, and delavirdine. Aims:...
Systematic review of the efficacy of antiretroviral therapies for reducing the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of antiretroviral therapies in reducing the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection. METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clinical trials of...
Adherence to antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa and North America: A meta-analysis
CONTEXT: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy is a powerful predictor of survival for individuals living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS. Concerns about incomplete adherence among patients living in poverty...
Mitochondrial disorders among infants exposed to HIV and antiretroviral therapy
Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, concern has been raised about the possibility that it may cause mitochondrial dysfunction in infants. There is adequate...
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...