Short- and Long-term Immunological and Virological Outcome in HIV-Infected Infants According to the Age at Antiretroviral Treatment Initiation

The clinical benefit of antiretroviral therapy in infants is established. In this cohort collaboration, we compare immunological and virological response to treatment started before or after 3 months of age. Early initiation provides a better short-term response, although evolution after 12 months of age is similar in both group

Time to Switch to Second-line Antiretroviral Therapy in Children With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Europe and Thailand.

Background: Data on durability of first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are limited. We assessed time to switch to second-line therapy in 16 European countries and Thailand. Methods: Children aged <18 years initiating combination ART (≥2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors [NRTIs] plus nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor [NNRTI] or boosted protease inhibitor [PI]) were included. Switch to second-line was defined as (i) change across drug class (PI to NNRTI or vice versa) or within PI class plus change of ≥1 NRTI; (ii) change from single to dual PI; or (iii) addition of a new drug class. Cumulative incidence of switch was calculated with death and loss to follow-up as competing risks. Results: Of 3668 children included, median age at ART initiation was 6.1 (interquartile range (IQR), 1.7-10.5) years. Initial regimens were 32% PI based, 34% nevirapine (NVP) based, and 33% efavirenz based. Median duration of follow-up was 5.4 (IQR, 2.9-8.3) years. Cumulative incidence of switch at 5 years was 21% (95% confidence interval, 20%-23%), with significant regional variations. Median time to switch was 30 (IQR, 16-58) months; two-thirds of switches were related to treatment failure. In multivariable analysis, older age, severe immunosuppression and higher viral load (VL) at ART start, and NVP-based initial regimens were associated with increased risk of switch. Conclusions: One in 5 children switched to a second-line regimen by 5 years of ART, with two-thirds failure related. Advanced HIV, older age, and NVP-based regimens were associated with increased risk of switch

Liver Enzyme Elevation in Pregnant Women Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in the ANRS-French Perinatal Cohort

International audienceBACKGROUND:High rates of liver enzyme elevation (LEE) in women receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) during pregnancy have been reported but causes remain unclear. We estimated the prevalence and risk factors of LEE in a national prospective multicenter cohort.METHODS:We studied 5748 pregnant women living with HIV enrolled in the French Perinatal Cohort 2005-2014, treated with ART, with no active hepatitis B or C co-infection. Adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) were estimated using Cox models with ART as time-dependent variable, separately for women on ART at conception and those initiating ART during pregnancy.RESULTS:LEE (grade>1) was observed in 16.7%, grade 3-4 in 2%. Among women with LEE, 6.7% had preeclampsia, 9.8% intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, and 1.4% other identified medical causes. Most LEE (82.2%) were unexplained. In women with unexplained LEE, LEE was the reason for hospitalization in 51 (6%) women, cesarean section in 13 (2%), induction of labour in 3 (0.4%), and change in ART regimen in 49 (6%) women. Unexplained LEE was associated with higher risk of preterm births, p<0.001.Among women on ART at conception, the risk of unexplained LEE was lower with NNRTI-based regimens than with PI-based regimens: aHR=0.5[0.3-0.7], with no difference among the PI drugs. Most women initiating ART during pregnancy were on a PI-based regimen (89%). Among them, LEE was less frequent for women on nelfinavir vs. lopinavir/r (aHR=0.4[0.2-0.8]).CONCLUSION:Rates of LEE among pregnant women living with HIV are high and impact obstetrical care management. The possible role of PIs needs further investigation

Increased risk of serious bacterial infections due to maternal immunosuppression in HIV-exposed uninfected infants in a European country

Morbidity and mortality are higher among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exposed but uninfected (HEU) infants than unexposed infants, particularly if the mother had a low CD4 count. We investigated the possible association between maternal immune depression during pregnancy and the risk of infection in HEU infants in the national French Perinatal Cohort (EPF). Methods.All neonates, born alive, to HIV-1-infected women enrolled in the EPF between 2002 and 2010 were included. The primary outcome was the first serious (hospitalization or death) infection during the first year of life. The main exposure variable was maternal CD4 cellcount near delivery. The Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox models were applied, with the different types of infections managed as competing events. Results.Among 7638 HEU neonates, 699 had at least 1 serious infection (of which 159 were bacterial) with a Kaplan-Meier probability of 9.3% (95% confidence interval, 8.7-10.0) at 1 year. The risk of serious bacterial infection during the first year of life significantly increased with lower maternal CD4 cell count, before and after adjustment for maternal CD4 cell count <350 and 350-499 CD4/mm3 (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.7 [1.2-2.6] and 1.2 [0.8-1.9], respectively; P =. 03). This association mainly concerned infections involving encapsulated bacteria (P =. 03).The risk of serious viral infection was, by contrast, independent of the mother's CD4 cellcount. Conclusions.Maternal CD4 count is significantly and specifically associated with the risk of serious infections with encapsulated bacteria in HEU infants.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Does changing antiretroviral therapy in the first trimester for pregnancy-related concerns have an impact on viral suppression ?: Changing ART in pregnancy and viral suppression ?

International audienceOBJECTIVE:To determine whether changing antiretroviral therapy (ART) during pregnancy because of concern about fetal risks led to poorer virological outcomes.METHODS:All pregnancies in women with HIV-1 infection enrolled in the national multicenter prospective French Perinatal cohort at 14 week gestation or more were included between January 2005 and December 2015, if the mother was on ART at conception with a plasma viral load <50 copies/mL. The reasons for a change in the ART were analyzed according to treatment guidelines at the time of the pregnancy and defined as for safety concerns in the absence of reported maternal intolerance. Virological and pregnancy outcomes were studied by survival analysis and logistic regression adjusted for a propensity score established for each patient according to baseline characteristics.RESULTS:Of 7079 pregnancies in the overall cohort, 1797 had ART at conception with a viral load <50 copies/mL before 14 week gestation. Of these, 22 changed regimens in the first trimester for intolerance, and 411 of the remaining 1775 (23%) solely for safety concerns. The proportion of change was higher when the initial treatment was not recommended in the national guidelines (OR adjusted: 23.1 [14.0-38.2]), than when it was an alternative option (ORa: 2.2 [1.3-3.7]), as compared to recommended first-line regimens. Treatment changes for safety concerns did not lead to poorer virological control, compared with pregnancies without such changes (19.3% vs. 15.6%, HRa: 1.0 [0.7-1.4]).CONCLUSIONS:Changing ART early in pregnancy to regimens considered safer for pregnancy, and neonatal health did not have a destabilizing effect on viral suppression

HIV-1 virological remission lasting more than 12 years after interruption of early antiretroviral therapy in a perinatally infected teenager enrolled in the French ANRS EPF-CO10 paediatric cohort: a case report.

International audienceDurable HIV-1 remission after interruption of combined antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been reported in some adults who started treatment during primary infection; however, whether long-term remission in vertically infected children is possible was unknown. We report a case of a young adult perinatally infected with HIV-1 with viral remission despite long-term treatment interruption. The patient was identified in the ANRS EPF-CO10 paediatric cohort among 100 children infected with HIV perinatally who started ART before 6 months of age. HIV RNA viral load and CD4 cell counts were monitored from birth. Ultrasensitive HIV RNA, peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-associated HIV DNA, HIV-specific T-cell responses (ie, production of cytokines and capacity to suppress HIV infection), reactivation of the CD4 cell reservoir (measured by p24 ELISA and HIV RNA in supernatants upon phytohaemagglutinin activation of purified CD4 cells), and plasma concentrations of antiretroviral drugs were assessed after 10 years of documented control off therapy. The infant was born in 1996 to a woman with uncontrolled HIV-1 viraemia and received zidovudine-based prophylaxis for 6 weeks. HIV RNA and DNA were not detected 3 days and 14 days after birth. HIV DNA was detected at 4 weeks of age. HIV RNA reached 2·17× 10(6) copies per mL at 3 months of age and ART was started. HIV RNA was undetectable 1 month later. ART was discontinued by the family at some point between 5·8 and 6·8 years of age. HIV RNA was undetectable at 6·8 years of age and ART was not resumed. HIV RNA has remained below 50 copies per mL and CD4 cell counts stable through to 18·6 years of age. After 11·5 years of control off treatment, HIV RNA was below 4 copies per mL and HIV DNA was 2·2 log10 copies per 10(6) PBMCs. The HLA genotype showed homozygosity at several loci (A*2301-, B*1503/4101, C*0210/0802, DRB1*1101-, and DQB1*0602-). HIV-specific CD8 T-cell responses and T-cell activation were weak. Findings from this case suggest that long-term HIV-1 remission is possible in perinatally infected children who receive treatment early, with characteristics similar to those reported in adult HIV post-treatment controllers. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms associated with HIV remission and whether early treatment of infected children might favour the conditions needed to achieve HIV control after treatment discontinuation. Agence de recherche ANRS (France Recherche Nord & Sud Sida-HIV Hépatites)

Effect of early antiretroviral therapy on the risk of AIDS/death in HIV-infected infants.

In HIV-1 vertically infected infants, starting antiretroviral therapy before the age of 3 months is associated with a significant reduction in progression to AIDS and death

Prevalence and clinical outcomes of poor immune response despite virologically suppressive antiretroviral therapy among children and adolescents with human immunodeficiency virus in Europe and Thailand: Cohort study

Background. In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).positive adults, low CD4 cell counts despite fully suppressed HIV-1 RNA on antiretroviral therapy (ART) have been associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. We assessed the prevalence and outcomes of poor immune response (PIR) in children receiving suppressive ART. Methods. Sixteen cohorts from the European Pregnancy and Paediatric HIV Cohort Collaboration (EPPICC) contributed data. Children <18 years at ART initiation, with sustained viral suppression (VS) (.400 copies/mL) for ≥1 year were included. The prevalence of PIR (defined as World Health Organization advanced/severe immunosuppression for age) at 1 year of VS was described. Factors associated with PIR were assessed using logistic regression. Rates of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or death on suppressive ART were calculated by PIR status. Results. Of 2318 children included, median age was 6.4 years and 68% had advanced/severe immunosuppression at ART initiation. At 1 year of VS, 12% had PIR. In multivariable analysis, PIR was associated with older age and worse immunological stage at ART start, hepatitis B coinfection, and residing in Thailand (all P ≤ .03). Rates of AIDS/death (95% confidence interval) per 100 000 person-years were 1052 (547, 2022) among PIR versus 261 (166, 409) among immune responders; rate ratio of 4.04 (1.83, 8.92; P < .001). Conclusions. One in eight children in our cohort experienced PIR despite sustained VS. While the overall rate of AIDS/death was low, children with PIR had a 4-fold increase in risk of event as compared with immune responders