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Results for “AIDS Clinical Trials Group”

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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

Fumagillin analog in the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma: a phase I AIDS Clinical Trial Group study. AIDS Clinical Trial Group No. 215 Team.

PURPOSE: Angiogenesis is a major component of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and a critical process in tumor growth. The present study was designed primarily to test the toxicity and pharmacokinetics (PK) of the angiogenesis inhibitor TNP-470 and secondarily to evaluate tumor response in patients with early AIDS-related KS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with AIDS-related KS were required to have cutaneous disease with > or = 5 measurable lesions and no evidence of pulmonary, symptomatic gastrointestinal, or acutely life-threatening KS. Thirty-eight patients received TNP-470 by weekly intravenous infusion over 1 hour at one of six dose levels for up to 24 weeks. RESULTS: The dose levels tested included 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 70 mg/m2. Median CD4 count was 24 cells/microl (range, 0 to 460). Fourteen patients (36%) had > or = 50 cutaneous lesions and 19 (49%) had oral lesions. Adverse events included neutropenia (n = 2), hemorrhage (n = 3), and urticaria (n = 1). PK studies showed wide interpatient and intrapatient variability. Elimination half-life values were short (range, 0.01 to 0.61 hours). Seven patients (18%) achieved a partial response. The median time to partial response was 4 weeks (range, 2 to 25), and the median duration of response was 11 weeks (range, 3 to 26+). CONCLUSION: TNP-470, administered as a weekly, 1-hour infusion to patients with early AIDS-KS is well-tolerated at doses up to and including the highest dose tested. Tumor responses were observed in a substantial number of cases and occurred at various dose levels. TNP-470 should be evaluated further in patients with AIDS-KS as a single agent and in combination with other biologic response modifiers in early disease or after initial response to cytotoxic chemotherapy.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed1997

AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma: prospective validation of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group staging classification. AIDS Clinical Trials Group Oncology Committee.

PURPOSE: To prospectively validate the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) staging classification for AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred ninety-four consecutive patients enrolled in eight ACTG therapeutic trials for AIDS-associated KS were staged prospectively according to tumor extent (T), severity of immunosuppression (I), and other systemic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-associated illness (S) and were observed for survival. Patients were classified as good risk (subscript 0) or poor risk (subscript 1) for each variable according to published ACTG criteria. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the associations between TIS variables and survival; additional analyses were conducted to improve the predictive value of the staging system. RESULTS: Survival was significantly shorter for patients in the poor-risk category for each of the TIS variables. Respective median survivals for patients in the good- and poor-risk categories were 27 and 15 months for T (P < .001); 40 and 13 months for I (P < .001) when I0 included CD4 counts > or = 200/microL and 22 and 16 months for S (P = .04). Multivariate analysis indicated that severity of immunosuppression gave the most predictive information but also showed that T provided significant additional predictive information in patients whose immune function was least impaired. Refined Cox models using a CD4 count of 150/microL rather than 200/microL to distinguish I0 and I1 yielded a simplified model with better fit to the observed data. CONCLUSION: The ACTG TIS classification predicts survival in patients with AIDS-associated KS; CD4 count and tumor stage provide the most predictive information. However, a lower CD4 count than the one originally proposed provides better discrimination between prognostic groups.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1996

Randomized study of the tolerance and efficacy of high- versus low-dose zidovudine in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children with mild to moderate symptoms (AIDS Clinical Trials Group 128). Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group.

The current dosage of zidovudine for children is 180 mg/m2 every 6 h. To investigate whether a lower dosage was equally effective, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children (3 months to 12 years) with mild to moderate symptoms were randomly assigned to receive either high-dose (180 mg/m2/dose) or low-dose (90 mg/m2/dose) zidovudine (double-blind). Treatments were compared with respect to neuropsychologic function, survival, clinical and laboratory evidence of disease progression, and safety and tolerance. Four hundred twenty-six HIV-infected children were enrolled; median time for receipt of study drug was 35 months. Zidovudine in either dose was well tolerated, with no difference in efficacy or tolerance by treatment group using any clinical or laboratory parameter. In children with mild to moderate disease, a reduction of zidovudine to 90 mg/m2/dose will result in substantial cost savings and should be the recommended dose.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗

PubMed1996

Clinical vs photographic assessment of treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis. Foscarnet-Ganciclovir Cytomegalovirus Retinitis Trial Report 8. Studies of Ocular Complications of AIDS Research Group, AIDS Clinical Trials Group.

OBJECTIVE: To illustrate 2 common problems encountered in evaluating the response of cytomegalovirus retinitis to antiviral treatment and to consider their clinical importance. METHODS: Four illustrative cases were selected from 76 cases reviewed during a study that compared clinical evaluation and centralized grading of fundus photographs in the assessment of cytomegalovirus retinitis. RESULTS: These cases illustrate 2 problems noted during the review: (1) that progression of retinitis may be difficult to recognize clinically in the absence of an obvious increase in retinitis border activity and (2) that movement of retinitis borders by 750 microns or more (the principal criterion used to define retinitis progression) during the initial 4 weeks of treatment does not necessarily represent an unfavorable response to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Ophthalmologists who participate in the management of cytomegalovirus retinitis should be aware of the subtlety of retinitis activity that sometimes accompanies progression in patients undergoing treatment with currently approved agents. Side-by-side comparison of good-quality photographs from the current visit (as soon as they are available) with photographs from previous visits, using adequate illumination and magnification, may be helpful in detecting progression promptly. When applying the results of clinical trials to clinical practice, clinicians should not equate retinitis border movement of 750 microns or more during the first 4 weeks of treatment with treatment failure.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed1997

MSL-109 adjuvant therapy for cytomegalovirus retinitis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: the Monoclonal Antibody Cytomegalovirus Retinitis Trial. The Studies of Ocular Complications of AIDS Research Group. AIDS Clinical Trials Group.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intravenous human monoclonal antibody to cytomegalovirus (CMV), MSL-109, as adjuvant treatment for CMV retinitis. METHODS: Two hundred nine patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and active CMV retinitis were enrolled in a multicenter, phase 2/3, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Patients received adjuvant treatment with MSL-109, 60 mg intravenously every 2 weeks, or placebo. Randomization was stratified on the basis of whether patients had untreated or relapsed retinitis. Primary drug therapy for CMV retinitis was determined by the treating physician. RESULTS: The rates of retinitis progression, as evaluated in a masked fashion, were 3.04/person-year in the MSL-109-treated group and 3.05/person-year in the placebo-treated group (P=.98; Wald test); the median times to progression were 67 days in the MSL-109-treated group and 65 days in the placebo-treated group. No differences between the 2 groups were noted in the rates of increase in retinal area involved by CMV, visual field loss, or visual acuity outcomes. The mortality rate in the MSL-109-treated group was 0.68/person-year, and in the placebo-treated group, 0.31/person-year (P=.01). The mortality difference was not explained by differences in baseline variables or in concurrent antiretroviral therapy. Among patients with newly diagnosed retinitis, mortality rates were similar (MSL-109, 0.41/person-year; placebo, 0.42/person-year; P=.95), whereas among patients with relapsed retinitis the MSL-109-treated group had a greater mortality rate (MSL-109, 0.83/person-year; placebo, 0.24/person-year; P=.003). However, the mortality rate in the placebo-treated patients with relapsed CMV retinitis was lower than that in the placebo-treated patients with newly diagnosed CMV retinitis and lower than that in other trials of patients with relapsed CMV retinitis. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous MSL-109, 60 mg every 2 weeks, appeared to be ineffective adjuvant therapy for CMV retinitis. The mortality rate was higher in the MSL-109-treated group, but the reasons for this difference remain uncertain.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed1996

Assessment of cytomegalovirus retinitis. Clinical evaluation vs centralized grading of fundus photographs. Studies of Ocular Complications of AIDS Research Group, AIDS Clinical Trials Group.

BACKGROUND: In the Foscarnet-Ganciclovir Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Retinitis Trial, time to first progression of newly diagnosed CMV retinitis was similar in the 2 treatment groups but was shorter when assessed by grading of fundus photographs at a central reading center than when assessed at the participating clinical centers. This report describes the extent and causes of this disagreement and considers the implications of the findings for clinical practice and future research. METHODS: Clinical findings and photographic gradings were compared for extent and activity of retinitis at baseline and during follow-up. In selected cases of disagreement, the photographs and summaries of gradings and clinical findings were reviewed concurrently to determine the cause of disagreement. RESULTS: Movement of the border of retinitis was observed sooner and activity of the border was considered to have increased more often at the reading center than at the clinical centers. Disagreements on time to first progression were more frequent when degree of border movement was small (odds ratios [ORs] for several comparisons ranged from 1.7 to 5.2), when border activity was judged to have decreased or remained the same since the preceding visit (OR, 2.0-193), and when retinitis at baseline did not involve zone 1 (the area within 1 disc diameter of the disc or within 2 disc diameters of the center of the macula [OR, 1.4-3.6]). There were 2 important causes of disagreement between clinical center and reading center. First, difficulty was encountered clinically in recognizing retinitis border movement in the absence of an obvious increase in border activity. Second, the reading center used a threshold for border movement small enough to be crossed by an initial expansion of retinitis borders occurring within 2 to 5 weeks of enrollment in some patients who were responding favorably to treatment (in that retinitis was becoming inactive and showed no further progression for many weeks). CONCLUSIONS: Comparisons of photographs from the current visit with those from several previous visits may increase clinicians' abilities to detect progression promptly. The use of additional outcome measures by reading centers, such as border movement of 1500 microns or more and change in area of retina involved by retinitis, may provide more accurate and useful comparisons of treatments. In making such comparisons, centralized photographic grading has the advantages of greater reproducibility and lesser risk of observer bias.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed1998

Interlaboratory concordance of DNA sequence analysis to detect reverse transcriptase mutations in HIV-1 proviral DNA. ACTG Sequencing Working Group. AIDS Clinical Trials Group.

Thirteen laboratories evaluated the reproducibility of sequencing methods to detect drug resistance mutations in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). Blinded, cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cell pellets were distributed to each laboratory. Each laboratory used its preferred method for sequencing proviral DNA. Differences in protocols included: DNA purification; number of PCR amplifications; PCR product purification; sequence/location of PCR/sequencing primers; sequencing template; sequencing reaction label; sequencing polymerase; and use of manual versus automated methods to resolve sequencing reaction products. Five unknowns were evaluated. Thirteen laboratories submitted 39043 nucleotide assignments spanning codons 10-256 of HIV-1 RT. A consensus nucleotide assignment (defined as agreement among > or = 75% of laboratories) could be made in over 99% of nucleotide positions, and was more frequent in the three laboratory isolates. The overall rate of discrepant nucleotide assignments was 0.29%. A consensus nucleotide assignment could not be made at RT codon 41 in the clinical isolate tested. Clonal analysis revealed that this was due to the presence of a mixture of wild-type and mutant genotypes. These observations suggest that sequencing methodologies currently in use in ACTG laboratories to sequence HIV-1 RT yield highly concordant results for laboratory strains; however, more discrepancies among laboratories may occur when clinical isolates are tested.

Codon↗

PubMed1993

Performance evaluation in multicenter clinical trials: development of a model by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group.

The AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is the largest federally funded program of AIDS clinical trials. It is a collaboration involving 59 institutions and affiliated clinical centers, known as AIDS Clinical Trials Units (ACTUs), NIAID staff, and a Statistical and Data Analysis Center (SDAC). An institutional evaluation tool was developed to evaluate ACTU performance, distinguish between clinical centers with superior performance and those not meeting standards, and assist NIAID in allocating funding based on performance. The evaluation tool was designed to reflect the many distinguishing features of ACTG study protocols and clinical trial centers in order to measure performance objectively. The evaluation focused on assessing the financial resources expended by the ACTU in recruiting, treating, and following study patients during the evaluation period; the number of women and minorities enrolled; and the ACTU's scientific contributions to the ACTG. To help quantify the ACTU's performance in enrolling study subjects, a formula was derived to assess the total effort required to screen, enroll, treat, and assess subjects participating in ACTG studies. A weighting system was developed for each study protocol to account for the variations in effort and resources required by the different protocols. Future directions in the ACTG evaluation process include strategies to evaluate performance in relation to quality of data and to determine ways in which the evaluation process can be used to enhance the achievement of programmatic goals.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed2001

Effect of therapeutic immunization with HIV type 1 recombinant glycoprotein 160 ImmunoAG vaccine in HIV-infected individuals with CD4+ T cell counts of >or=500 and 200-400/mm3 (AIDS Clinical Trials Group Study 246/946).

AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) 246/946 was a double-blinded, randomized, controlled trial of HIV-1 MN rgp160 ImmunoAG vaccine in HIV-infected patients with CD4(+) T cell counts >or=500 and 200-400/mm(3). The main objectives were to study the safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine and to study the persistence of the immune responses after vaccination over a longer period of time. Fifteen patients with CD4(+) T cell counts of >or=500/mm(3) were enrolled in the ACTG 246 study. ACTG 246 patients received a monthly injection of vaccine or control for 6 months and then injections every 2 months. After completion of this study, seven new patients with CD4(+) T cell counts of 200-400/mm(3) entered into the ACTG 946 study. These study patients received highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) (ritonavir, didanosine, and stavudine) for 9 weeks to stabilize their viral load and then each patient received a monthly injection of vaccine or control substance for 6 months with HAART. The study of these two relatively small populations showed that the vaccine was safe without any adverse effect both in the patients with CD4(+) T cell counts of >or=500 and 200-400/mm(3). The vaccine was also immunogenic in patients with CD4(+) T cell counts of >or=500/mm(3) as measured by gp160-specific lymphocyte proliferative responses, and it persisted after they had received more than six vaccine injections, for a longer period of time.

AIDS Vaccines↗

PubMed2000

Baseline human immunodeficiency virus type 1 phenotype, genotype, and RNA response after switching from long-term hard-capsule saquinavir to indinavir or soft-gel-capsule saquinavir in AIDS clinical trials group protocol 333.

AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocol 333 was an open-label trial of a switch from saquinavir (SQV) hard capsules (SQVhc) to indinavir (IDV) or saquinavir soft-gel capsules (SQVsgc) after >48 weeks of prior treatment with SQVhc. Eighty-nine subjects received IDV or SQVsgc or continued to receive SQVhc and continued unchanged treatment with non-protease-inhibitor antivirals for 8 weeks. Subjects receiving SQVhc then switched treatment to IDV. Baseline drug susceptibility and protease gene sequencing were done; 12 codons related to IDV and SQV resistance were analyzed. After 112 weeks (median) of SQVhc, the fall in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 RNA level from baseline was significantly greater with IDV and was inversely correlated with the number of protease substitutions. The number of substitutions also correlated with baseline CD4 cell count, HIV-1 RNA level, SQV experience, and drug susceptibility. Substitution at codon 10, which occurred only in isolates with >/=2 substitutions, was associated with blunted RNA response. IDV IC(50) correlated with HIV-1 RNA response after the switch to IDV but added little predictive power once the genotype was considered.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Sex-based differences in saquinavir pharmacology and virologic response in AIDS Clinical Trials Group Study 359.

AIDS Clinical Trials Group study 359 was a controlled study of saquinavir with either ritonavir or nelfinavir, together with delavirdine, adefovir, or both, in indinavir-experienced persons. Saquinavir was common in all study arms, and the study investigated relationships among characteristics of patients, saquinavir area under the curve (AUC) and trough concentrations (C(min)), and virologic response. Concentrations of saquinavir were higher when it was combined with ritonavir than when it was combined with nelfinavir and were lower with adefovir-containing regimens. Females had higher AUC and C(min) values than did males. Higher saquinavir AUC and C(min) values were associated with a greater likelihood of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA levels </=500 copies/mL (P=.008) and were better predictors of response than was the saquinavir inhibitory quotient. Males had a lower probability of having HIV RNA levels </=500 copies/mL at week 16 than did females (28% vs. 42%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.43). In this study, a greater proportion of females had HIV RNA levels </=500 copies/mL than did males, which can be attributed to higher concentrations of saquinavir in females than in males.

Adenine↗

PubMed2005

Four measures of antiretroviral medication adherence and virologic response in AIDS clinical trials group study 359.

AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) 359 was a randomized, partially double-blinded factorial study of 6 antiretroviral regimens, all including saquinavir, among HIV-infected persons in whom prior therapy had failed (n = 258). Counts of remaining saquinavir capsules were determined between weeks 0 and 4; at weeks 4, 8, and 16, self-reported adherence was estimated from 2-day report of doses skipped, therapeutic coverage, and percent of doses taken were determined by electronic monitoring devices applied to saquinavir bottles, and the saquinavir 24-hour area under the curve (AUC) was estimated. Relationships were evaluated among these 4 adherence measures and the primary endpoint of week 16 HIV RNA change. Thirty percent of 254 subjects had HIV RNA < or =500 copies/mL at week 16. Only self-reported adherence and saquinavir AUC were significantly associated with week 16 HIV RNA change (P = 0.019 and 0.023, respectively), and these measures were higher in subjects with week 16 HIV RNA < or =500 copies/mL (P = 0.03 and 0.008, respectively). The ability to detect a correlation between electronically monitored adherence and virologic response was limited by the small sample size. Self-reported adherence and saquinavir AUC were significant predictors of virologic response, in this evaluation. These findings provide insight into methods of assessing and improving adherence to antiretroviral regimens.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1999

Efficacy of zidovudine and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) hyperimmune immunoglobulin for reducing perinatal HIV transmission from HIV-infected women with advanced disease: results of Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocol 185.

Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocol 185 evaluated whether zidovudine combined with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) hyperimmune immunoglobulin (HIVIG) infusions administered monthly during pregnancy and to the neonate at birth would significantly lower perinatal HIV transmission compared with treatment with zidovudine and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) without HIV antibody. Subjects had baseline CD4 cell counts </=500/microL (22% had counts <200/microL) and required zidovudine for maternal health (24% received zidovudine before pregnancy). Transmission was associated with lower maternal baseline CD4 cell count (odds ratio, 1.58 per 100-cell decrement; P=.005; 10.0% vs. 3.6% transmission for count <200 vs. >/=200/microL) but not with time of zidovudine initiation (5.6% vs. 4.8% if started before vs. during pregnancy; P=. 75). The Kaplan-Meier transmission rate for HIVIG recipients was 4. 1% (95% confidence interval, 1.5%-6.7%) and for IVIG recipients was 6.0% (2.8%-9.1%) (P=.36). The unexpectedly low transmission confirmed that zidovudine prophylaxis is highly effective, even for women with advanced HIV disease and prior zidovudine therapy, although it limited the study's ability to address whether passive immunization diminishes perinatal transmission.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Analysis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 drug resistance in children receiving nucleoside analogue reverse-transcriptase inhibitors plus nevirapine, nelfinavir, or ritonavir (Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group 377).

In Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group 377, antiretroviral therapy-experienced children were randomized to 4 treatment arms that included different combinations of stavudine, lamivudine (3TC), nevirapine (Nvp), nelfinavir (Nfv), and ritonavir (Rtv). Previous treatment with zidovudine (Zdv), didanosine (ddI), or zalcitabine (ddC) was acceptable. Drug resistance mutations were assessed before study treatment (baseline) and at virologic failure. Zdv, ddI, and ddC mutations were detected frequently at baseline but were not associated with virologic failure. Children with drug resistance mutations at baseline had greater reductions in virus load over time than did children who did not. Nvp and 3TC mutations were detected frequently at virologic failure, and Nvp mutations were more common among children receiving 3-drug versus 4-drug Nvp-containing regimens. Children who were maintained on their study regimen after virologic failure accumulated additional Nvp and 3TC mutations plus Rtv and Nfv mutations. However, Rtv and Nfv mutations were detected at unexpectedly low rates.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

The pharmacokinetics of amprenavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine in the genital tracts of men infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (AIDS clinical trials group study 850).

The AIDS Clinical Trials Group Study 850 (ACTG 850) evaluated the penetration of zidovudine (ZDV), lamivudine (3TC), and amprenavir (APV), given alone and in combination with the 2 nucleoside analogues, into the male genital tract, because these factors may affect human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 suppression and transmission. Nineteen men receiving APV monotherapy and 12 men receiving triple therapy donated blood plasma (BP) and seminal plasma (SP) during therapy. Paired SP and BP were used to calculate compartmental concentration ratios. APV SP concentrations were consistently lower than BP concentrations, ZDV SP concentrations approximated BP concentrations early but became greater later in the dosing interval, and 3TC SP concentrations were substantially greater than BP concentrations throughout. Observed SP concentrations plotted with population BP concentration-time curves confirmed these findings, suggesting that passive diffusion (APV), slowed elimination (ZDV), and either active accumulation and/or inhibition of elimination (3TC) are responsible for SP concentrations of these agents. The antiretroviral effect of APV monotherapy was related to APV concentrations.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Development of resistance mutations in women receiving standard antiretroviral therapy who received intrapartum nevirapine to prevent perinatal human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transmission: a substudy of pediatric AIDS clinical trials group protocol 316.

Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocol 316 was an international, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial comparing single-dose oral nevirapine (200 mg to mother and 2 mg/kg to infant) with placebo in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women receiving standard antiretroviral therapy. This substudy evaluated the emergence of nevirapine-resistance mutations at 6 weeks postpartum in a subgroup of participants. Maternal risk factors for the emergence of nevirapine-resistance mutations were evaluated. Mutations associated with nevirapine resistance were detectable at delivery, prior to receipt of study drug, in 5 (2.3%) of 217 women. Fourteen (15%; 95% confidence interval, 8%-23%) of 95 women who received intrapartum nevirapine developed a nevirapine-resistance mutation 6 weeks postpartum. The most common mutation was K103N, which was present in 10 women. The risk for development of a new nevirapine-resistance mutation did not correlate with CD4 cell count or HIV-1 RNA load at delivery or with type of antepartum antiretroviral therapy. The risk of nevirapine resistance should be considered when determining the risks or benefits of intrapartum nevirapine in women receiving antepartum antiretroviral therapy.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1997

Treatment of cryptococcal meningitis associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Mycoses Study Group and AIDS Clinical Trials Group.

BACKGROUND: Treatment with low-dose amphotericin B (0.4 mg per kilogram of body weight per day) or oral azole therapy in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and cryptococcal meningitis has been associated with high mortality and low rates of cerebrospinal fluid sterilization. METHODS: In a double-blind multicenter trial we randomly assigned patients with a first episode of AIDS-associated cryptococcal meningitis to treatment with higher-dose amphotericin B (0.7 mg per kilogram per day) with or without flucytosine (100 mg per kilogram per day) for two weeks (step one), followed by eight weeks of treatment with itraconazole (400 mg per day) or fluconazole (400 mg per day) (step two). Treatment was considered successful if cerebrospinal fluid cultures were negative at 2 and 10 weeks or if the patient was clinically stable at 2 weeks and asymptomatic at 10 weeks. RESULTS: At two weeks, the cerebrospinal fluid cultures were negative in 60 percent of the 202 patients receiving amphotericin B plus flucytosine and in 51 percent of the 179 receiving amphotericin B alone (P=0.06). Elevated intracranial pressure was associated with death in 13 of 14 patients during step one. The clinical outcome did not differ significantly between the two groups. Seventy-two percent of the 151 fluconazole recipients and 60 percent of the 155 itraconazole recipients had negative cultures at 10 weeks (95 percent confidence interval for the difference in percentages, -100 to 21). The proportion of patients who had clinical responses was similar with fluconazole (68 percent) and itraconazole (70 percent). Overall mortality was 5.5 percent in the first two weeks and 3.9 percent in the next eight weeks, with no significant difference between the groups. In a multivariate analysis, the addition of flucytosine during the initial two weeks and treatment with fluconazole for the next eight weeks were independently associated with cerebrospinal fluid sterilization. CONCLUSIONS: For the initial treatment of AIDS-associated cryptococcal meningitis, the use of higher-dose amphotericin B plus flucytosine is associated with an increased rate of cerebrospinal fluid sterilization and decreased mortality at two weeks, as compared with regimens used in previous studies. Although consolidation therapy with fluconazole is associated with a higher rate of cerebrospinal fluid sterilization, itraconazole may be a suitable alternative for patients unable to take fluconazole.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed1999

Neurological outcomes in late HIV infection: adverse impact of neurological impairment on survival and protective effect of antiviral therapy. AIDS Clinical Trial Group and Neurological AIDS Research Consortium study team.

OBJECTIVE: In a large multi-center clinical trial of combination reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs), we assessed the impact of antiretroviral therapy on neurological function, the relationship between neurological and systemic benefit, and the prognostic value of neurological performance in late HIV-1 infection. DESIGN: Neurological evaluations incorporated in a randomized, multi-center trial of combination antiretroviral therapy. SETTING: Forty-two AIDS Clinical Trials Group sites and seven National Hemophilia Foundation sites. PATIENTS: Adult HIV-infected patients (n = 1313) with CD4 counts < 50 x 10(6) cells/l. INTERVENTIONS: Four combinations of reverse transcriptase inhibitors consisting of zidovudine (ZDV), alternating monthly with didanosine (ddl), or in combination with zalcitabine (ddC), ddl or ddl and nevirapine. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean change from baseline of a four-item quantitative neurological performance battery score, the QNPZ-4, administered to 1031 subjects. RESULTS: Triple therapy and ZDV/ddl combination preserved or improved neurological performance over time compared with the alternating ZDV/ddl and ZDV/ddC regimens (P < 0.001), paralleling their impact on survival in the same trial as previously reported. QNPZ-4 scores were predictive of survival (P < 0.001), after adjusting for CD4 counts and HIV-1 plasma RNA concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Combination antiretroviral therapy can have a salutary effect on preserving or improving neurological function. Superior systemic treatments may likewise better preserve neurological function. The significant association of poor neurological performance with mortality, independent of CD4 counts and HIV-1 RNA levels indicates that neurological dysfunction is an important cause or a strong marker of poor prognosis in late HIV-1 infection. This study demonstrates the value of adjunctive neurological measures in large therapeutic trials of late HIV-1 infection.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗