Treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection with hydroxyurea, didanosine, and a protease inhibitor before seroconversion is associated with normalized …

F Lori, H Jessen, J Lieberman, D Finzi… - Journal of Infectious …, 1999 - academic.oup.com
F Lori, H Jessen, J Lieberman, D Finzi, E Rosenberg, C Tinelli, B Walker, RF Siliciano
Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1999academic.oup.com
Current treatments for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) require uninterrupted drug
administration because they are unable to reconstitute the immune response and do not
affect the viral reservoir. Ten patients were treated during acute HIV infection before
complete Western blot (WB) seroconversion with the combination of hydroxyurea,
didanosine, and indinavir. This treatment was associated with the normalization of some
immune parameters and functions. No loss of naive CD4 T lymphocytes was observed, and …
Abstract
Current treatments for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) require uninterrupted drug administration because they are unable to reconstitute the immune response and do not affect the viral reservoir. Ten patients were treated during acute HIV infection before complete Western blot (WB) seroconversion with the combination of hydroxyurea, didanosine, and indinavir. This treatment was associated with the normalization of some immune parameters and functions. No loss of naive CD4 T lymphocytes was observed, and recovery of up to 35% of naive CD8 T lymphocytes occurred in several weeks. A vigorous HIV-specific T helper response (stimulation index >8) was observed in 7 of 8 patients treated before complete WB seroconversion but in only 1 of 5 controls treated after seroconversion. In addition, a limited latent viral reservoir (<0.02–0.5 infectious units/106 cells) was documented in quiescent peripheral blood lymphocytes after treatment initiated before complete WB seroconversion.
Oxford University Press