Immunological status and virological suppression among HIV-infected adults on highly active antiretroviral therapy

BACKGROUND@#World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that viral load ([VL) is a primary tool that clinicians and researchers have used to monitor patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART), an antiviral drug against retroviruses. Whereas, CD4 cell counts can only be used to monitor clinical response to ART in the absence of VL testing service. Therefore, this study is aimed to assess the level of immunological status and virological suppression, and identify associated factors among human immunodeficiency virus ([HIV)-infected adults who were taking antiretroviral drugs of combination regimen know as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).@*METHODS@#A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar comprehensive specialized referral hospital from February to April 2018. A total of 323 adult participants on HAART were selected using a systematic random sampling technique and enrolled into the study. Blood samples for viral load determination and CD4 cell count were collected. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with immunologic status and virological suppression in HIV patients on HAART. Odds ratio with 95% CI was used to measure the strength of association.@*RESULTS@#Virological suppression (VL level  499 cells/mm (AOR = 7.71; 95% CI 3.48, 17.09) at VL testing and current age > 45 years old (AOR = 5.99; 95% CI 2.12, 16.91). Similarly, favorable immunological status (≥ 400 cells/mm for male and ≥ 466 cells/mm for female) was observed in 52.9% (95% CI 47.4, 58.8) of the study participants. Baseline CD4 cell count of > 200 cells/mm, age at enrollment of 26 through 40 years old, and urban residence were significantly associated with favorable immunological status.@*CONCLUSION@#Though the majority of HIV-infected adults who were on HAART had shown viral suppression, the rate of suppression was sub-optimal according to the UNAIDS 90-90-90 target to help end the AIDS pandemic by 2020. Nonetheless, the rate of immunological recovery in the study cohort was low. Hence, early initiation of HAART should be strengthened to achieve good virological suppression and immunological recovery.

Virological suppression in children and adolescents is not influenced by genotyping, but depends on optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the virological outcomes in children and adolescents infected with HIV-1 in Salvador, Bahia according to genotyping results. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the rates of virological suppression of children and adolescents submitted to HIV-1 genotyping test from January/2008 to December/2012. The participants were followed in the two referral centers for pediatric AIDS care, in Salvador, Brazil. Resistance mutations, drug sensitivity profiles, and viral subtypes were analyzed using the Stanford HIV-1 Drug Resistance Database. Adherence was estimated by drugs withdrawal at pharmacies of the two sites. Results: 101 subjects were included: 35 (34.6%) were drug-naïve, and the remaining 66 were failing ART. In drug-naïve group, 3 (8.6%), presented with NNRTIs resistance mutations, along with polymorphic mutations to PIs in most (82.8%) of them. Among the failing therapy group, we detected a high frequency (89.4%) of resistance mutations to PIs, NRTI (84.8%), and NNRTI (59.1%). Virological suppression after introduction/modification of genotyping-guided ART was achieved only for patients (53.1%) with drug withdrawal over 95%. Main detected HIV-1 subtypes were B (67.3%), F (7.9), C (1.9%), and recombinant forms (22.9%). Conclusions: Despite the use of genotyping tests in guidance of a more effective antiretroviral regimen, poor adherence to ART seems to be the main determinant of low virological suppression rate for children and adolescents, in Salvador, Brazil.