AEGiS-13IAC: Structured interrupted therapy (SIT): Mumbai cohort.

13th International AIDS Conference

Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

Structured interrupted therapy (SIT): Mumbai cohort.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:18 (abstract no.. LbOr10)

Joshi S, Joshi SS, Vergara PT, Shah PS, Dongre R, Bhalala US
MGM Hospital, Mumbai, India. Fax: +91-22-6443572, E-mail: srjoshi@vsnl.com.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of pulsed anti-retroviral (ARV) regimens are being explored with the hope to improve and increase access to medical treatment for HIV all over the world. The aim of this study is to establish the efficacy and safety of structured interrupted anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy using the alternate one month on - one month off regimen.

METHODS: 26 consecutive asymptomatic, newly diagnosed HIV cases wee treated with SIT ARV regimen. All patients had CD4 counts above 300 and viral loads above 20,000 copies/ml at diagnosis and therapy initiation. All cases received AZT or d4T, 3TC and Saquinavir every alternate month. They were all evaluated clinically, immunologically (CD4 count at least every 1 or 3 months), virologically (every 3 months), and monitored for safety, side effects) and resistance.

RESULTS: At the end of one year of therapy, all cases had undetectable viral loads and small but sustained increase in CD4 slope. All cases remained clinically asymptomatic without development of opportunistic infections or side effects to the therapy.

CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study of the Mumbai cohort suggests that for early asymptomatic HIV cases, structured interrupted ARV therapy may be an attractive option, especially for developing countries. Further consideration, evaluation and validation is needed.

Keywords: AEGIS, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, Viral Load, Zidovudine, Saquinavir, Stavudine, Lamivudine, HIV Infections, Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active, Drug Therapy, Combination, Human, therapy, drug therapy, AIDS
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