Claudine Duvivier

Marked increase in the incidence of invasive anal cancer among HIV-infected patients despite treatment with combination antiretroviral therapy.

Objective:To describe the cases of anal cancer that appeared in the French Hospital Database on HIV between 1992 and 2004 and to study risk factors of anal cancer. Methods:We examined the incidence rates of anal cancer between 1992 and 2004 and the risk associated among 86 322 HIV-infected patients included in the French Hospital Database on HIV. Results:We identified 132 cases of anal cancer, including 124 cases in men (94%), of whom 75% had sex with men. Median age at diagnosis was 42.8 years (interquartile range: 36.9–49.4). At diagnosis, 103 patients (78%) were receiving combination antiretroviral therapy for a median of 37.1 months (interquartile range: 4.5–59.8). Median survival after anal cancer diagnosis was 5 years. The respective overall incidence rates of anal cancer per 100 000 person-years between 1992 and March 1996, April 1996 to 1998 and between 1999 and 2004 were 11 (95% confidence interval, 4–17), 18 (95% confidence interval, 10–27) and 40 (95% confidence interval, 32–47). The risk of anal cancer was higher among men who have sex with men. After adjustment for age at inclusion in the study, as well as gender, the HIV transmission group, the nadir CD4 cell count and AIDS status, the incidence was higher in the years 1999–2004 than in between 1992 to March 1996 (hazard ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–5.3), with no change in the years 1999–2004. Conclusion:The incidence of anal cancer has increased among HIV-infected patients in France since 1996. Although an ascertainment bias cannot be excluded, data indicate that combination antiretroviral therapy does not prevent anal cancer in these patients. This supports the urgent need for developing anal cancer screening programs for HIV-infected men who have sex with men.

Greater decrease in bone mineral density with protease inhibitor regimens compared with nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor regimens in HIV-1 infected naive patients.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the change in bone mineral density (BMD) at specific sites in patients initiating antiretroviral therapy in a substudy of the ANRS 121 trial. METHODS Antiretroviral-naive patients were randomized (2: 1: 1) into three treatment strategy arms: a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) and a boosted protease inhibitor (PI/r), a PI/r and two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) or an NNRTI and NRTIs. Hip and lumbar spine standardized BMD were evaluated at baseline and week 48 by dual X-ray absorptiometry by a central reading laboratory. RESULTS Seventy-one patients were enrolled: 36 in the PI/r and NNRTI, 19 in the PI/r and NRTIs and 16 in the NNRTI and NRTIs arms. Baseline characteristics were [median (interquartile range)]: male (77%), age 40 years (33-49), 69% white, 58% smokers, BMI 23 kg/m2 (21-24), CD4 cell count 219 cells/microl (144-285). In the arms with NRTIs, 86% of patients received zidovudine/lamivudine. At baseline, 31% had osteopenia and 3% had osteoporosis. At week 48, there was a mean change in BMD of -4.1 +/- 3.9% at lumbar spine and -2.8 +/- 4.7% at hip (both P< or = 0.001). The decrease of BMD at lumbar spine was significantly worse in the PI/r and NNRTI arm (-4.4 +/- 3.4%) and in the PI/r and NRTIs arm (-5.8 +/- 4.5%) compared with the NNRTI and NRTIs arm (-1.5 +/- 2.9%), P = 0.007 and P = 0.001, respectively. CONCLUSION BMD was impaired in 34% of patients, before starting any antiretrovirals. After 1 year, the decrease in lumbar spine BMD was more pronounced in patients receiving either PI/r-containing regimen compared with NNRTI and NRTIs. BMD at specific sites should be monitored during lifelong antiretroviral therapy.

Efficacy of darunavir/ritonavir maintenance monotherapy in patients with HIV-1 viral suppression: a randomized open-label, noninferiority trial, MONOI-ANRS 136.

Background:Darunavir/ritonavir (darunavir/r) maintenance strategy, in patients with suppressed HIV RNA viremia, is a potential long-term strategy to avoid nucleoside analogue toxicities and to reduce costs. Methods:MONOtherapy Inhibitor protease is a prospective, open-label, noninferiority, 96-week safety and efficacy trial in virologically suppressed patients on triple therapy who were randomized to a darunavir/r triple drug regimen or darunavir/r monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with HIV RNA less than 400 copies/ml at week 48; treatment failure was defined as two consecutive HIV RNA more than 400 copies/ml (time to loss of virologic response) or any change in treatment. The trial had 80% power to show noninferiority for the monotherapy arm (δ=−10%, 90% confidence interval). Results:A total of 242 patients were screened, 225 of whom were randomized. In the per protocol efficacy analysis, treatment success was 99% on darunavir/r triple drug versus 94% on darunavir/r monotherapy (δ = −4.9%, 90% confidence interval, from −9.1 to −0.8). Similar results were found in intent-to-treat population (92 versus 87.5%, δ = −4.5%, 90% confidence interval from −11.2 to 2.1). Three patients experienced virologic failure on darunavir/monotherapy and none on darunavir/r triple drug. No resistance to protease inhibitor emerged in patients with plasma viral load above 50 copies/ml. The two groups did not differ in the number of serious adverse events. Conclusion:Darunavir/r monotherapy exhibited efficacy rate over 85% with concordant results in the magnitude of difference with darunavir/r triple drug regimen in both intent-to-treat and per protocol analyses, but discordant conclusions with respect to the noninferiority margin. Patients failing on darunavir/r monotherapy had no emergence of new darunavir resistance mutations preserving future treatment options.

HIV disease progression despite suppression of viral replication is associated with exhaustion of lymphopoiesis

The mechanisms of CD4(+) T-cell count decline, the hallmark of HIV disease progression, and its relationship to elevated levels of immune activation are not fully understood. Massive depletion of CD4(+) T cells occurs during the course of HIV-1 infection, so that maintenance of adequate CD4(+) T-cell levels probably depends primarily on the capacity to renew depleted lymphocytes, that is, the lymphopoiesis. We performed here a comprehensive study of quantitative and qualitative attributes of CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor cells directly from the blood of a large set of HIV-infected persons compared with uninfected donors, in particular the elderly. Our analyses underline a marked impairment of primary immune resources with the failure to maintain adequate lymphocyte counts. Systemic immune activation emerges as a major correlate of altered lymphopoiesis, which can be partially reversed with prolonged antiretroviral therapy. Importantly, HIV disease progression despite elite control of HIV replication or virologic success on antiretroviral treatment is associated with persistent damage to the lymphopoietic system or exhaustion of lymphopoiesis. These findings highlight the importance of primary hematopoietic resources in HIV pathogenesis and the response to antiretroviral treatments.

Safety and Efficacy of Raltegravir in HIV‐Infected Transplant Patients Cotreated with Immunosuppressive Drugs

Solid organ transplantations (SOT) are performed successfully in selected HIV‐infected patients. However, multiple and reciprocal drug–drug interactions are observed between antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) through CYP450 metabolization. Raltegravir (RAL), a novel HIV‐1 integrase inhibitor, is not a substrate of CYP450 enzymes. We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of 13 HIV‐infected transplant patients treated by an RAL + two nucleosidic reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) regimen, in terms of tolerability, ARV efficacy (plasma viral load, CD4 cell count), drug interactions, RAL pharmacokinetics and transplant outcome. Thirteen patients with liver (n = 8) or kidney (n = 5) transplantation were included. RAL was initiated (400 mg BID) either at time of transplantation (n = 6), or after transplantation (n = 7). Median RAL trough concentration was 507 ng/mL (176–890), which is above the in vitro IC95 for wild type HIV‐1 strains (15 ng/mL). Target trough levels of CNIs were promptly obtained with standard dosages of tacrolimus or cyclosporine. RAL tolerability was excellent. There was no episode of acute rejection. HIV infection remained controlled. After a median follow‐up of 9 months (range: 6–14), all patients were alive with satisfactory graft function. The use of an RAL + two NRTI‐based regimen is a good alternative in HIV‐infected patients undergoing SOT.

Acute hepatitis C in HIV-infected men who have sex with men

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is usually transmitted via the parenteral route, but there are widely discrepant findings on its possible sexual transmission. Thus there are no recommendations concerning protected sex for couples in which only one partner is HCV‐infected. Whether HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases could favour HCV transmission remains unclear, but recent data suggesting an increasing incidence of acute HCV in HIV‐infected men underline the major public health implications of this issue.

Incidence of HIV-Related Anal Cancer Remains Increased Despite Long-Term Combined Antiretroviral Treatment: Results From the French Hospital Database on HIV

PURPOSE To study recent trends in the incidence of anal cancer in HIV-infected patients receiving long-term combined antiretroviral treatment (cART) compared with the general population. PATIENTS AND METHODS From the French Hospital Database on HIV, we identified 263 cases of invasive anal squamous cell carcinoma confirmed histologically between 1992 and 2008. We compared incidence rates of anal cancer across four calendar periods: 1992-1996 (pre-cART period), 1997-2000 (early cART period), and 2001-2004 and 2005-2008 (recent cART periods). Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated by using general population incidence data from the French Network of Cancer Registries. RESULTS In HIV-infected patients, the hazard ratio (HR) in the cART periods versus the pre-cART period was 2.5 (95% CI, 1.28 to 4.98). No difference was observed across the cART calendar periods (HR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.6 to 1.3). In 2005-2008, HIV-infected patients compared with the general population had an excess risk of anal cancer, with SIRs of 109.8 (95% CI, 84.6 to 140.3), 49.2 (95% CI, 33.2 to 70.3), and 13.1 (95% CI, 6.8 to 22.8) for men who have sex with men (MSM), other men, and women, respectively. Among patients with CD4 cell counts above 500/μL for at least 2 years, SIRs were 67.5 (95% CI, 41.2 to 104.3) when the CD4 nadir was less than 200/μL for more than 2 years and 24.5 (95% CI, 17.1 to 34.1) when the CD4 nadir was more than 200/μL. CONCLUSION Relative to that in the general population, the risk of anal cancer in HIV-infected patients is still extremely high, even in patients with high current CD4 cell counts. cART appears to have no preventive effect on anal cancer, particularly in MSM.

Liver damage underlying unexplained transaminase elevation in human immunodeficiency virus-1 mono-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy.

Liver damage associated with chronic unexplained high serum transaminases in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected patients under combined antiretroviral therapy is unknown. Liver histology was prospectively investigated in patients presenting serum transaminase elevation for more than 6 months, after exclusion of alcohol abuse, hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, autoimmune, and genetic liver diseases. In a subgroup of patients, liver mitochondrial activities were measured by spectrophotometry and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Thirty patients were included with median values of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels: 80 U/L, age: 46 years, body mass index: 23 kg/m2, HIV RNA: 200 copies/mL, CD4 count: 365/mm3, duration of HIV infection: 13 years, and duration of treatment exposure: 118, 41, and 53 months for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and protease inhibitors, respectively. Histological anomalies were found in 22 of 30 patients. Steatosis was present in 18 patients, severe in nine patients, and associated with inflammation in 16 patients with a diagnosis of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Fibrosis was found in 18 patients, severe in six patients and associated with steatosis in 13 patients. Significant liver respiratory complex I defect, contrasting with high complex IV activity and normal mitochondrial DNA content, was observed in the group of patients compared with controls. The presence of NASH was correlated with high fasting glycemia and insulin levels, not with liver mitochondrial function or mitochondrial DNA content. Conclusions: HIV‐infected patients on combined antiretroviral therapy with chronic transaminase elevation of unknown origin have a high rate of liver lesions, mostly consistent with NASH related to insulin resistance. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.)

Benefit of treatment interruption in HIV-infected patients with multiple therapeutic failures: a randomized controlled trial (ANRS 097).

Background: Both highly potent antiretroviral drug rescue therapy and treatment interruption have been suggested to be effective in patients with multiple treatment failure. Objective: To assess both the benefits and risks of an 8-week treatment interruption associated with a six to nine-drug rescue regimen in patients with multiple treatment failures. Design: A randomized comparative controlled trial in 19 university hospitals in France. Patients: Sixty-eight HIV-infected patients with multiple previous treatment failures and CD4 cell counts less than 200 × 106 cells/l and plasma HIV-1-RNA levels of 50 000 copies/ml or greater. Measurements: The primary efficacy outcome was the proportion of patients with at least a 1 log10 decrease (copies/ml) in the plasma HIV-1-RNA level after 12 weeks of therapy. Results: Treatment interruption followed by multidrug salvage therapy led to a greater proportion of patients achieving virological success (i.e. 1 log10 decrease) at 12 weeks compared with patients receiving multidrug therapy alone (62 versus 26%, intent-to-treat analysis; P = 0.007). The median decrease in the HIV-1-RNA level was −1.91 and −0.37 log10 copies/ml (P = 0.008), respectively. Treatment interruption led to an increase in the number of sensitive drugs of the multidrug regimen (71 versus 35% of regimen with at least two sensitive drugs; P = 0.004). Factors associated with virological success were treatment interruption, the reversion of at least one mutation to wild type, adequate plasma drug concentration, and the use of lopinavir. Conclusion: Treatment interruption was beneficial for treatment-experienced HIV-infected patients with advanced HIV disease and multidrug-resistant virus.

A large French prospective cohort of HIV‐infected patients: the Nadis Cohort

The aim of this article is to describe the development of a dynamic French cohort of HIV‐infected patients, the methodological issues and decisions made, and the characteristics of the patients currently enrolled.