Antiretroviral therapy and the kidney

Acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are more common in the HIV-infected population than in the general population. AKI is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, cardiovascular disease, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and mortality. Tenofovir is associated with severe AKI in a small percentage of patients and with subclinical abnormalities in many more. HIV-associated nephropathy is now a relatively rare form of CKD, because of the widespread use of potent antiretroviral therapy. The CKD spectrum in HIV-infected patients has become more frequently characterized by comorbid CKD, with an increased frequency of CKD related to diabetes or hypertension being observed. Kidney transplantation is a therapeutic option for HIV-infected patients with ESRD if their HIV infection is controlled, although rates of acute graft rejection and drug-drug interactions are high. This article summarizes a presentation by Christina M. Wyatt, MD, at the IAS-USA continuing education program held in Washington, DC, in June 2013.