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- Title
Misclassification of First-Line Antiretroviral Treatment Failure Based on Immunological Monitoring of HIV Infection in Resource-Limited Settings.
- Authors
Kantor, Rami; Diero, Lameck; DeLong, Allison; Kamle, Lydia; Muyonga, Sarah; Mambo, Fidelis; Walumbe, Eunice; Emonyi, Wilfred; Chan, Philip; Carter, E. Jane; Hogan, Joseph; Buziba, Nathan
- Abstract
Background. The monitoring of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who are treated with antiretroviral medications in resource-limited settings is typically performed by use of clinical and immunological criteria. The early identification of first-line antiretroviral treatment failure is critical to prevent morbidity, mortality, and drug resistance. Misclassification of failure may result in premature switching to second-line therapy. Methods. Adult patients in western Kenya had their viral loads (VLs) determined if they had adhered to firstline therapy for 16 months and were suspected of experiencing immunological failure (ie, their CD4 cell count decreased by ⩾25% in 6 months). Misclassification of treatment failure was defined as a ⩾25% decrease in CD4 cell count with a VL of <400 copies/mL. Logistic and tree regressions examined relationships between VL and 4 variables: CD4 T cell count (hereafter CD4 cell count), percentage of T cells expressing CD4 (hereafter CD4 cell percentage), percentage decrease in the CD4 T cell count (hereafter CD4 cell count percent decrease), and percentage decrease in the percentage of T cells expressing CD4 (hereafter CD4% percent decrease). Results. There were 149 patients who were treated for 23 months; they were identified as having a ⩾25% decrease in CD4 cell count (from 375 to 216 cells/μL) and a CD4% percent decrease (from 19% to 15%); of these 149 patients, 86 (58%) were misclassified as having experienced treatment failure. Of 42 patients who had a ⩾50% decrease in CD4 cell count, 18 (43%) were misclassified. In multivariate logistic regression, misclassification odds were associated with a higher CD4 cell count, a shorter duration of therapy, and a smaller CD4% percent decrease. By combining these variables, we may be able to improve our ability to predict treatment failure. Conclusions. Immunological monitoring as a sole indicator of virological failure would lead to a premature switch to valuable second-line regimens for 58% of patients who experience a ⩾25% decrease in CD4 cell count and for 43% patients who experience a ⩾50% decrease in CD4 cell count, and therefore this type of monitoring should be reevaluated. Selective virological monitoring and the addition of indicators like trends CD4% percent decrease and duration of therapy may systematically improve the identification of treatment failure. VL testing is now mandatory for patients suspected of experiencing first-line treatment failure within the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) in western Kenya, and should be considered in all resource-limited settings.
- Subjects
KENYA; ANTIRETROVIRAL agents; HIV; HIV infections; IMMUNOLOGY; T cells; MORTALITY; PATIENTS; MULTIVARIATE analysis
- Publication
Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2009, Vol 49, Issue 3, p454
- ISSN
1058-4838
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1086/600396