Revised US NIH Guidelines for use of ART

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Dear Forum,

On December 1, 2007, the United States, NIH DHHS Panel on Antiretroviral

Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents released a revised version of the

Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and

Adolescents.

The following changes have been made to the October 10, 2006 version of the

guidelines.

Laboratory Assessment

• Drug Resistance Testing – The Panel recommends performing genotypic drug

resistance testing for all treatment-naïve patients entering into clinical care,

regardless of whether antiretroviral therapy is to be initiated (AIII). This

recommendation is based on the fact that transmitted resistance mutation may be

detected at a time point more proximal to the time of infection than later.

Repeat testing may be considered at the time when therapy is to be initiated

(CIII).

• Tropism Assay – The Panel recommends tropism testing prior to the initiation

of a CCR5 antagonist, such as maraviroc (AII). Coreceptor tropism testing might

also be considered for patients exhibiting virologic failure on maraviroc (or

any CCR5 inhibitor) (BIII).

• HLA-B*5701 Testing – The Panel recommends HLA-B*5701 testing prior to

initiating abacavir therapy to reduce the risk of hypersensitivity reaction

(AI). HLA-B*5701-positive patients should not be prescribed abacavir (AI), and

the positive status should be recorded as an abacavir allergy in the patient’s

medical record (AII). When HLA-B*5701 screening is not readily available, it

remains reasonable to initiate ABC with appropriate clinical counselling and

monitoring for any signs of abacavir-associated hypersensitivity reaction

(CIII).

When to Start Antiretroviral Therapy

1. The Panel recommends that antiretroviral therapy should be initiated in

patients with history of an AIDS-defining illness or with a CD4 T-cell count

<350 cells/mm3; the data supporting this recommendation are stronger for those

with a CD4 T-cell count <200 cells/mm3 and with a history of AIDS (AI) than for

those with CD4 T-cell counts between 200 and 350 cells/mm3 (AII).

2. The Panel also recommends treatment for the following groups regardless of

CD4 T-cell count:

a) pregnant patients (AI);

patients with HIV associated nephropathy (AI);

c) patients coinfected with hepatitis B when treatment for hepatitis B virus

is indicated (BIII).

3. The optimal time to initiate therapy in asymptomatic patients with CD4 T-cell

count >350 cells/mm3 is not well defined. The decision of whether or not to

start therapy in these patients should take into account the potential benefits

and risks associated with therapy, comorbidities, and patient readiness and

willingness to adhere to long-term treatment.

Management of Treatment-Experienced Patients

This section was revised to include (1) a review of the newer classes of

antiretroviral agents (CCR5 antagonists and integrase inhibitors) and their

roles in the management of treatment-experienced patients with virologic

failure; and (2) a discussion of immunologic failure.

Tables Update

Various tables have been updated to reflect new recommendations and new

information on specific

antiretroviral drugs.

The complete December 1, 2007 version of the adult treatment guidelines is

available on the AIDSinfo web site at

http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/ContentFiles/AdultandAdolescentGL.pdf.

Dr Diwakar Tejaswi

Medical Director

RATNEI, IHO

www.ihousa.org

diwakartejaswi@...

Mobile: +91-9835078298