Effects of maraviroc versus efavirenz in combination with zidovudine-lamivudine on the CD4/CD8 ratio in treatment-naive HIV-infected individuals

Abstract

A low CD4/CD8 ratio during treated HIV infection reflects heightened immune activation and predicts death. The effects of different antiretroviral therapy regimens on CD4/CD8 ratio recovery remains unclear. We performed a post hoc analysis of the MERIT study, a randomized, double-blind trial of maraviroc versus efavirenz in combination with zidovudine-lamivudine in treatment-naive HIV-infected individuals. We found higher rates of CD4/CD8 ratio normalization with efavirenz, which was driven by a greater CD8+ T-cell decline.