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Effect of isoprinosine on HIV antigenaemia
L L Teglbjaerg1, S Kroon, E Sandström
1Department of Infectious Disease, Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of isoprinosine on HIV-antigen expression in HIV-positive patients without AIDS.
Design:
Serum samples from anti-HIV-positive patients without AIDS participating in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of isoprinosine in the treatment of HIV infection were analysed for the presence of HIV antigen.
Setting:
Data and samples were collected from the 21 medical centres who participated in the Scandinavian multicentre placebo-controlled isoprinosine study.
Patients, Participants:
Samples were available from 19 of 21 participating centres. Of 866 patients who enrolled, baseline serum samples were available for 642 (74%; 308 isoprinosine- and 334 placebo-treated patients).
Interventions:
Treatment was 1 g isoprinosine administered orally three times a day or matching placebo for 24 weeks.
Main Outcome Measures:
Comparison of HIV-antigen levels before and during treatment in both the isoprinosine-treated group and the placebo-treated group of patients.
Results:
During the study, AIDS developed in 19 patients; 17 of whom were receiving placebo treatment and two isoprinosine. The proportion of HIV-antigen-positive patients developing AIDS during treatment was significantly different from the proportion of HIV-antigen-negative patients in whom AIDS developed (6 versus 2%; P = 0.02). No significant changes in HIV-antigen levels were observed between the isoprinosine- and the placebo-treated group of HIV-antigen-positive patients. Median HIV-antigen levels did not change significantly in either the isoprinosine- or the placebo-treated group.
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that isoprinosine does not have antiviral activity against HIV in vivo.