Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 8, 2026

Rapid Screening of HIV Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Inhibitors
05:46

Rapid Screening of HIV Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Inhibitors

Published on: April 9, 2014

Protease inhibitor therapy in HIV-infected children

A R Feingold1, R M Rutstein, D Meislich

  • 1The Children's Regional Hospital, Camden, New Jersey 08103, USA. Feingold-Anat@Cooperhealth.edu

AIDS Patient Care and Stds
|January 13, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Protease inhibitor (PI) therapy significantly improved immune function and reduced viral load in HIV-infected children. Good compliance correlated with better treatment response, though side effects were noted.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Virology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection remains a significant health concern in children.
  • Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is crucial for managing pediatric HIV.
  • Protease inhibitors (PIs) are a key component of ART regimens.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of protease inhibitor (PI)-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV-infected children.
  • To assess the impact of PI therapy on immunological and virological markers.
  • To examine the relationship between patient compliance and treatment outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of 70 HIV-infected children receiving PI-containing ART at two urban pediatric centers.
  • Analysis of follow-up CD4 counts and viral loads as primary outcome measures.
  • Inclusion of patient or caregiver-reported compliance data.

Main Results:

  • PI-containing ART was associated with a mean maximal increase in CD4+ lymphocyte count of 454 x 10(6)/L.
  • A mean maximal decrease in viral load of 1.76 log units was observed.
  • 87.5% of patients achieving undetectable viral loads maintained this status for a mean of 8.9 months.
  • Good compliance was linked to a higher response rate (92.6%) compared to poor compliance (61.5%).
  • 11 out of 14 patients (78.6%) responded positively to a second PI regimen after treatment failure.
  • Significant side effects occurred in 19 of 101 PI therapy courses, with renal complications noted in 8 of 21 patients on indinavir.

Conclusions:

  • PI-containing ART demonstrated substantial short-term improvements in immunological and virological parameters in a heavily pretreated pediatric HIV cohort.
  • Approximately 40% of patients maintained undetectable viral loads after 9 months of PI therapy.
  • Patients experiencing treatment failure with one PI regimen often responded well to a second PI regimen.
  • A notable incidence of side effects associated with PI treatment was observed.

More Related Videos

Evaluation of the Efficacy And Toxicity of RNAs Targeting HIV-1 Production for Use in Gene or Drug Therapy12:03

Evaluation of the Efficacy And Toxicity of RNAs Targeting HIV-1 Production for Use in Gene or Drug Therapy

Published on: September 5, 2016

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship, Activity Prediction, and Molecular Dynamics of Non-nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors10:29

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship, Activity Prediction, and Molecular Dynamics of Non-nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

Published on: May 9, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Retrovirus Life Cycles01:10

Retrovirus Life Cycles

Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the retrovirus to...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease01:29

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a widespread pathogen that primarily targets infants and young children but also poses a serious health risk to elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Belonging to the Pneumoviridae family, RSV is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus within the Pneumovirus genus. Its global health burden is significant, with millions of cases annually resulting in hospitalizations and mortality, particularly in resource-limited settings. Although most...
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis01:30

Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis is indispensable for viral replication, as viruses lack the cellular machinery required for this process and must hijack the host's translational apparatus. In response, host cells deploy a critical innate immune defense involving interferons, specialized cytokines that play a central role in inhibiting viral propagation.Upon viral detection, infected cells release interferons that bind to receptors on adjacent uninfected cells, activating the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and...
Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors01:22

Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors

Antiviral Nucleoside InhibitorsAntiviral nucleoside inhibitors are structural analogs of natural nucleosides that interfere with viral DNA or RNA synthesis. These compounds selectively target viral polymerases due to their resemblance to host nucleosides, thereby disrupting viral genome replication.Mechanism of Acyclovir ActionAcyclovir is a guanosine analog with a three-carbon acyclic side chain. It selectively targets herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2),...
Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly01:19

Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly

As part of their replication cycle, certain viruses synthesize long precursor proteins called polyproteins within infected host cells. In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), two major polyproteins are produced: Gag and Gag-Pol. The Gag polyprotein supplies the structural components of the virus, while Gag-Pol includes essential viral enzymes such as reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease. After synthesis, these polyproteins move to the host cell membrane, where they assemble into an...