Response to First-Line Antiretroviral Therapy Among PLHIV from a High-Risk, Low-Prevalence Setting. (2nd August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rashed Ul Islam, Shahria Mohammad; Jahan, Munira; Nessa, Afzalun; Tabassum, Shahina
• Is Part Of: Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care. Volume 18(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-08-02
• Subjects: HIV -- first-line ART -- Bangladesh -- high risk low prevalence; AIDS (Disease) -- Periodicals; 616.9792
• DOI: 10.1177/2325958219867329
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2325-9574

Abstract

The study reports the response of first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) by assessing CD4 and CD8 T-lymphocyte and viral load (VL) among Bangladeshi people living with HIV (PLHIV). This observational approach was conducted on 100 PLHIVs, grouped into therapy naive (n = 33), therapy initiators with CD4 T-cell count of <350 cells/µL (n = 33), and therapy receivers for >1 year prior to the study period (n = 34). Therapy initiators who continued the study (n = 20) were followed up after 12 and 24 weeks of therapy initiation. The CD4 and CD8 T-lymphocyte count estimation and (VL) were quantified. The mean CD4 T-lymphocyte count was significantly reduced among the therapy initiators in comparison to therapy naive and therapy receivers. Similar findings were observed for CD8 T-lymphocyte count among the study groups. The mean HIV-1 RNA VL among therapy initiators showed a significant decrease after 12 and 24 weeks, and 85% patients in this group obtained undetectable VL status indicating the good therapeutic outcome.