Persistence of human immunodeficiency virus antigenemia in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome treated with a reverse transcriptase inhibitor, suramin. Ten-patient case-control study.

Ten homosexual men with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome were included in a serologic follow-up study (duration, 40 weeks) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antigenemia. Five of these men were treated with the reverse transcriptase inhibitor, suramin, for a period of 19 to 37 weeks. In contrast with reported changes in HIV antigen levels after treatment with zidovudine, HIV antigenemia persisted in the suramin-treated group, as well as in the untreated group. No clinical or immunologic improvement was seen in either group within the observation period. These data add evidence to the notion that monitoring HIV antigen levels helps to assess the efficacy of antiviral therapy.