Lucia Taramasso1, Laura Magnasco2, Bianca Bruzzone3, Patrizia Caligiuri4, Giorgio Bozzi5, Sara Mora6, Elisa Balletto2, Paola Tatarelli2, Mauro Giacomini6, Antonio Di Biagio7. 1. Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; MultidisciplinAry ResearCh in Health Science (MACH), Milan, Italy. Electronic address: taramasso.lucia@gmail.com. 2. Department of Health Sciences (DiSSal), University of Genoa, Italy. 3. Hygiene Unit, Policlinico San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy. 4. Department of Health Sciences (DiSSal), University of Genoa, Italy; Hygiene Unit, Policlinico San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy. 5. Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. 6. Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and System Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. 7. Department of Health Sciences (DiSSal), University of Genoa, Italy; Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is still unclear what might be the best management of people living with HIV (PLWHIV) with low level viremia (LLV) despite being on antiretroviral treatment (ART). OBJECTIVES: Aim of our study is to describe the clinical management of PLWHIV with LLV followed in a large cohort. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. RESULTS: We included 1607 adult patients over a three-year period (2015-2017). Follow up continued until June, 30th 2019 or last available visit. We observed a low incidence of LLV (0.9 % in 2015, 0.7 % in 2016 and 0.4 % in 2017), with a total of 21 patients with persistent LLV (pLLV), i.e. two consecutive HIV-RNA determinations of 50-500 copies/ml after at least 4 months of viral suppression. Among them, 12 had low compliance to treatment. Genotype resistance test (GRT) was performed in 14 patients and demonstrated at least one resistance mutation in 85.7 %. We described three categories of patients with pLLV: i) those whose ART regimen was not adequate based on GRT; ii) those with presumed suboptimal drug exposure, consequence of low adherence and/or drug-drug interactions and iii) those in which pLLV remained unexplained. For the first two categories, optimization or intensification of ART regimen led to viral suppression in >80 % of patients. We observed only 2 (9.5 %) virological failures and 1 (4.8 %) persistence of LLV in patients who did not switch ART. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, the rate of LLV showed a decline in most recent years. Adherence and previous GRT should be carefully considered with the aim of further reducing the phenomenon.
BACKGROUND: It is still unclear what might be the best management of people living with HIV (PLWHIV) with low level viremia (LLV) despite being on antiretroviral treatment (ART). OBJECTIVES: Aim of our study is to describe the clinical management of PLWHIV with LLV followed in a large cohort. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. RESULTS: We included 1607 adult patients over a three-year period (2015-2017). Follow up continued until June, 30th 2019 or last available visit. We observed a low incidence of LLV (0.9 % in 2015, 0.7 % in 2016 and 0.4 % in 2017), with a total of 21 patients with persistent LLV (pLLV), i.e. two consecutive HIV-RNA determinations of 50-500 copies/ml after at least 4 months of viral suppression. Among them, 12 had low compliance to treatment. Genotype resistance test (GRT) was performed in 14 patients and demonstrated at least one resistance mutation in 85.7 %. We described three categories of patients with pLLV: i) those whose ART regimen was not adequate based on GRT; ii) those with presumed suboptimal drug exposure, consequence of low adherence and/or drug-drug interactions and iii) those in which pLLV remained unexplained. For the first two categories, optimization or intensification of ART regimen led to viral suppression in >80 % of patients. We observed only 2 (9.5 %) virological failures and 1 (4.8 %) persistence of LLV in patients who did not switch ART. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, the rate of LLV showed a decline in most recent years. Adherence and previous GRT should be carefully considered with the aim of further reducing the phenomenon.
Authors: Marta Bull; Caroline Mitchell; Jaime Soria; Sheila Styrchak; Corey Williams; Joan Dragavon; Kevin J Ryan; Edward Acosta; Frankline Onchiri; Robert W Coombs; Alberto La Rosa; Eduardo Ticona; Lisa M Frenkel Journal: J Infect Dis Date: 2020-08-04 Impact factor: 5.226