Immunologic response to combination nucleoside analogue plus protease inhibitor therapy in stable antiretroviral therapy-experienced human immunodeficiency virus-infected children

Abstract

The response of 40 immunologic parameters was studied for 147 clinically stable, protease inhibitor-naive, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children aged 2-17 years when antiretroviral therapy was changed to either a dual nucleoside analogue regimen or a protease inhibitor-containing regimen. Immunologic response to therapy, as measured by lymphocyte subsets, 3-color flow cytometric measures, and lymphoproliferative assays, were investigated for changes in weeks 44 and 48. The most significant changes after baseline that were associated with the administration of a protease inhibitor- containing regimen were seen for percentages of CD8+/CD38+/HLA-DR+, CD8+/CD95+/CD28-, and CD8. The percentages of CD8+/CD38+/ HLA-DR+ and CD8+/CD95+/CD28- decreased from baseline medians of 33% and 46% to medians of 18% and 30% at week 44 (P