Predictors of response to highly active antiretroviral therapy

The effective management of HIV-1 infection has evolved dramatically over the past decade. As treatments have become more effective, better tolerated, and easier to take, treatment success as defined by surrogate markers has become increasingly common. Nevertheless, responses to therapy are not uniform, and even in the ideal setting of clinical trials with a select patient population treated with a compact and well-tolerated regimen, up to 20% of patients will fail to achieve sustained antiviral responses. The factors that are predictors of response to antiretroviral therapy, including adherence, stage of disease at baseline, treatment history, and demographic factors, are discussed.