Safety and efficacy of initiating highly active antiretroviral therapy in an integrated antenatal and HIV clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the safety and efficacy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in pregnant women treated in an integrated antiretroviral antenatal clinic (ANC ARV).
METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients attending the ANC ARV from August 2004 through February 2007.
RESULTS: Data were collected on 689 treatment-naive pregnant women initiated on HAART. The mean age was 29.2 years. The mean baseline CD4 count was 154 cells per microliter, and mean baseline HIV viral load was 101,561 copies per milliliter. Tuberculosis was the most prevalent presenting opportunistic infection (7.7%). Stavudine, lamivudine, and nevirapine were initiated in 82% of women with the most frequent adverse drug reaction being nevirapine-associated skin rash (3.5%). Mean gestational age at HAART initiation was 27 weeks. Among women with follow-up data, 80% gained 50 or more CD4 cells per microliter and 80.5% achieved viral suppression to <1,000 copies per milliliter. Of 302 mother-infant pairs who completed postnatal follow-up, the HIV transmission rate was 5%. In women who received more than 7 weeks of HAART during pregnancy, transmission was 0.3%.
CONCLUSIONS: Within the ANC ARV program, initiating pregnant women on HAART was feasible, safe, and effective. Advanced gestational age at treatment initiation and loss to follow-up emerge as important challenges in this population.