Cotte L, Trabaud MA, Bissuel F, Trepo C; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12; 10: 75 (abstract no. 577A).

INSERM U 271, France.

OBJECTIVE: To assess HIV-1 RNA levels in plasma by branched DNA (bDNA) assay in patients receiving long-term Zidovudine (AZT) therapy and in a placebo group. METHODS: 36 initially asymptomatic HIV infected patients enrolled in a controlled trial receiving AZT 1g/day (n = 17) or placebo (n = 19), followed for 4 years. Quantification of HIV-1 RNA in plasma using bDNA signal amplification assay (Chiron) before treatment, and 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 years after initiation of the study. RESULTS: HIV-1 RNA was detected at enrolment in 2/17 patients in the AZT group and in 1/19 patients in the placebo group. Less than 15% of the patients in AZT group had detectable HIV-1 RNA during the first 2 years, while this proportion regularly increased to 36% at 2 years in the placebo group. At 3 years, HIV-1 RNA was detected in 50% patients in both groups. Twelve patients (AZT group: 3; placebo group: 9) progressed to AIDS during follow-up and HIV-1 RNA increased in 10 of them. Twenty-four patients (AZT group: 14; placebo group: 10) remained asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic during the 4 years follow-up. Three of these 24 patients exhibited transiently low levels of HIV-1 RNA, 4 patients turned HIV-1 RNA positive only at 3 years and 17 gave constantly negative results. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: HIV-1 RNA quantification using branched DNA technology correlates with clinical progression in HIV infected patients. AZT therapy delays positivity of the assay during the first 2 years, but this difference is no longer observed at 3 years. These results suggest that the transient benefit of AZT is limited by breakthrough after 2 years. Technical improvements may increase further the sensitivity of the assay.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Anti-HIV Agents
• Disease Progression
• HIV
• HIV Core Protein p24
• HIV Infections
• HIV Protease Inhibitors
• HIV Seropositivity
• Humans
• RNA
• RNA, Viral
• Zidovudine
• immunology
• therapy

Other ID:

• 94372474

UI: 102211307

From Meeting Abstracts