Alessandro Chiodera

Liver Damage and Kinetics of Hepatitis C Virus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Replication during the Early Phases of Combination Antiretroviral Treatment

In order to assess the relationship between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA, hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, CD4, CD8, and liver enzymes during combination antiretroviral therapy, these parameters were measured in 12 HIV-HCV-coinfected patients (who were naive for antiretrovirals) on the day before and 3, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 84 days after initiating the following treatments: stavudine and lamivudine in all patients, indinavir in 6 patients, and nevirapine in 6 patients. HIV RNA declined rapidly, CD4 cells increased slowly, and CD8 cells and liver enzymes were stable. HCV RNA showed a transient significant increase at days 14 and 21 (7.33+/-0.16 [mean +/- SE] and 7.29+/-0.2 log copies/mL vs. 7+/-0.2 log copies/mL at baseline; P<.05). These changes were similar in both treatment groups. A 2-fold alanine aminotransferase increase was observed in 4 of 12 patients; 4 of 4 patients showed increased HCV RNA. The relationship between HCV RNA increase and HIV RNA decrease indicates virus-virus interference. An HCV RNA increase may cause significant liver damage only in a minority of patients.

Risk of clinical progression among patients with immunological nonresponse despite virological suppression after combination antiretroviral treatment

Background:It is unclear whether lack of immunological response despite viral suppression and relatively preserved CD4+ T-cell count is associated with increased risk of AIDS or severe non-AIDS events. Methods:Patients initiating first combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) were studied from first viral load 80 copies/ml or less up to AIDS, serious non-AIDS events (malignancies, severe infections, acute kidney injury, cardiovascular events, liver decompensation) or death. Follow-up was right censored if viral load was more than 500. Immunological nonresponse (INR) was defined as current CD4+ cell count less than 120% pre-cART. A Poisson regression analysis was used to investigate the association between INR and the outcome. Results:Three thousand, three hundred and seventy-eight patients were followed for a median of 32 months (interquartile range: 15–67). Two hundred and twenty-two events (32 deaths, 39 AIDS-defining events, 48 malignancies, 32 severe infections, 47 acute kidney injuries, 12 cardiovascular events, 12 other nonfatal events) were observed. The rate of clinical events among INR and immunological responders was 4.41 [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.38–5.74] and 1.84 (95% CI 1.58–2.15) per 100 person years of follow-up, respectively, accounting for a crude rate ratio of 2.39 (95% CI 1.77–3.25; P < 0.001). INR remained an independent predictor of clinical progression after adjusting for baseline characteristics, including pre-cART CD4+ cell count (adjusted rate ratio 2.93; 95% CI 2.06–4.16, P < 0.001) or current CD4+ cell count (adjusted rate ratio 1.94; 95% CI 1.39–2.72, P < 0.001). The association did not vary by pre-cART CD4+ cell counts (P for interaction = 0.93) Conclusion:INR are at higher risk of severe clinical events than responders. The association was consistent across different CD4+ cell counts at cART initiation and was only partially explained by current CD4+ cell count. INR could be a marker of immune system malfunctioning, not completely captured by absolute CD4+ cell count.

Rate of CD4+ cell count increase over periods of viral load suppression: relationship with the number of previous virological failures.

BACKGROUND Although the kinetics of CD4(+) cell counts have been extensively studied in antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected patients, data on individuals who have failed combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) are lacking. METHODS This analysis was based on the ICONA Foundation Study. Subjects with > or = 1 episode of viral suppression after starting first-line cART were included (n = 3537). Following a viral rebound, patients who achieved another episode of viral suppression could reenter the analysis. The percentage of patients with an increase in CD4(+) cell count >300 cells/mm(3) was estimated using Kaplan-Meier techniques; the rate of CD4(+) cell count increase per year was estimated using a multivariable, multilevel linear model with fixed effects of intercept and slope. Multivariable models were also fitted to include several covariates. RESULTS The median time to reach a CD4(+) cell count increase >300 cells/mm(3) from baseline was significantly associated with the number of failed regimens: 34 months, 41 months, 51 months, and 45 months in subjects without evidence of previous virological failure, or 1, 2, or > or = 3 previous virologically failed regimens, respectively (P < .001, by log-rank test). The annual estimated increases in CD4(+) cell count were 36 cells/mm(3) (95% confidence interval [CI], 34-38 cells/mm(3)), 28 cells/mm(3) (95% CI, 11-21 cells/mm(3)), 31 cells/mm(3) (95% CI, 26-36 cells/mm(3)), and 26 cells/mm(3) (95% CI, 18-33 cells/mm(3)), respectively. Differences in the annual CD4(+) cell count increase were observed between specific antiretrovirals. CONCLUSIONS Subjects with > or = 1 virological failure took a longer time to reach a CD4(+) cell count >300 cell/mm(3) and had a slower annual increase than those without virological failure. Efforts should be made to optimize first-line cART, because this represents the best chance of achieving an effective CD4(+) response.

Recent acquired STD and the use of HAART in the Italian Cohort of Naive for Antiretrovirals (I.Co.N.A): analysis of the incidence of newly acquired hepatitis B infection and syphilis.

Objective:To estimate the incidence of newly acquired syphilis (n-syphilis) and hepatitis B infection (n-hepatitis B) in I.Co.N.A. and to evaluate the impact of HAART, calendar date and risk group.Methods:Cohort study: Incidence was calculated by person–years analyses. Poisson regression was used for the multivariate model.Results:The rate of n-syphilis was 23.4/1,000 PYFU and it increased over time; HIV transmission risk was the most important predictor: men who have sex with men (MSM) had a considerable higher risk (RR 5.92, 95% CI 2.95–12.13 vs IDU/exIDU, p < 0.0001). The rate of n-hepatitis B was 12.2/1,000 PYFU; it declined in recent years and halved per 10 years age. Patients with HIV-RNA < 500 copies/ml had a 60% reduced risk of n-hepatitis B if they were treated with HAART compared with not treated individuals.Conclusions:In our population, the use of HAART was not associated with a higher risk of newly acquired sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Suppressive HAART was associated with a lower risk of HbsAg seroconversion. Incidence of n-hepatitis B has recently been declining possibly due to herd immunity provided by vaccination policies. The risk of acquiring n-syphilis has increased over time and it is higher in the population of MSM compared with other categories of HIV exposure.

Is the CD4 Cell Percentage a Better Marker of Immunosuppression than the Absolute CD4 Cell Count in HIV-Infected Patients with Cirrhosis?

Recently, it was shown that cirrhotic patients without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection had low CD4 cell counts and normal CD4 cell percentages, suggesting that, for HIV-infected persons, the CD4 cell percentage might be a more accurate marker of disease progression than the absolute CD4 cell count. In cirrhotic HIV-infected persons in the Italian Cohort of Antiretroviral-Naive Patients, the absolute CD4 cell count seemed to be better predictor of the risk of developing an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-defining illness than the CD4 cell percentage.