[Analysis of initial antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients]

The timing of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation and regimen combination treatment for HIV-infected patients are parameters requiring assessment, since they decisively influence results. The aim of the study was to evaluate initial HAART in HIV-infected patients in our hospital.

Retrospective study of the first 6 months after initiation of HAART in all treatment-naive adult patients so treated from January 2001 to June 2002. Baseline plasma viral load (PVL) and CD4+ count and HAART combination regimens were analyzed as well as therapy effectiveness and safety at 12 and 24 weeks after initiation of treatment.

HAART was initiated in 85 patients, 45 of which met the inclusion criteria. Eighty seven percent (87%) of the patients had a baseline CD4+ count < 350 cells/microl. Fifty-nine percent of treatments consisted of regimens based on non-nucleoside analogs, 34% were based on protease inhibitors, and 7% on nucleosides. The CD4+ count increased in 78 and 73% of patients at the 12th and 24th week respectively, and the percentage of patients with no detectable PVL was 67 and 71%, respectively. No significant differences in effectiveness were seen between the different combination regimens.

In most cases HAART may recover immune status and control PVL in treatment-naive HIV-infected patients. No differences were seen between combination regimens at the initiation of therapy.