Publikation

A comparison of initial antiretroviral therapy in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study and the recommendations of the International AIDS Society-USA

Wissenschaftlicher Artikel/Review - 20.12.2011

Bereiche
PubMed
DOI

Zitation
Wandeler G, Furrer H, Vernazza P, Clerc O, Battegay M, Bernasconi E, Günthard H, Hirschel B, Keiser O, Swiss HIV Cohort Study. A comparison of initial antiretroviral therapy in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study and the recommendations of the International AIDS Society-USA. PloS one 2011; 6:e27903.
Art
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel/Review (Englisch)
Zeitschrift
PloS one 2011; 6
Veröffentlichungsdatum
20.12.2011
eISSN (Online)
1932-6203
Seiten
e27903
Kurzbeschreibung/Zielsetzung

BACKGROUND
In order to facilitate and improve the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), international recommendations are released and updated regularly. We aimed to study if adherence to the recommendations is associated with better treatment outcomes in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS).

METHODS
Initial ART regimens prescribed to participants between 1998 and 2007 were classified according to IAS-USA recommendations. Baseline characteristics of patients who received regimens in violation with these recommendations (violation ART) were compared to other patients. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to identify associations between violation ART and (i) virological suppression and (ii) CD4 cell count increase, after one year.

RESULTS
Between 1998 and 2007, 4189 SHCS participants started 241 different ART regimens. A violation ART was started in 5% of patients. Female patients (adjusted odds ratio aOR 1.83, 95%CI 1.28-2.62), those with a high education level (aOR 1.49, 95%CI 1.07-2.06) or a high CD4 count (aOR 1.53, 95%CI 1.02-2.30) were more likely to receive violation ART. The proportion of patients with an undetectable viral load (<400 copies/mL) after one year was significantly lower with violation ART than with recommended regimens (aOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.37-0.80) whereas CD4 count increase after one year of treatment was similar in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS
Although more than 240 different initial regimens were prescribed, violations of the IAS-USA recommendations were uncommon. Patients receiving these regimens were less likely to have an undetectable viral load after one year, which strengthens the validity of these recommendations.