Treatment of acute hepatitis C virus infection in HIV+ patients: Dutch recommendations for management.

With a rising incidence of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients coinfected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), there is a need for evidence-based treatment recommendations. There are no randomised trials available and published studies differ with respect to design, patient characteristics and number of patients included, making a comparison between studies difficult. However, it is critical to standardise treatment for this group of patients in order to optimise the outcome of therapy.

Immune restoration and onset of new AIDS-defining events with combination antiretroviral therapy in HIV type-1-infected immigrants in the Netherlands.

Background: We investigated differences in immune restoration and onset of new AIDS-defining events on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) among HIV type-1 (HIV-1)-infected patients of different regional origin now living in the Netherlands.

Methods: Treatment-naive adults reaching plasma viral load (pVL)<400 copies/ml within 9 months of starting cART were selected from the Netherlands ATHENA cohort. CD4(+) T-cell response on cART was determined over 7 years using mixed models.

InforMatrix nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor 'backbones'.

InforMatrix is an interactive decision matrix technique. This paper describes the use of InforMatrix to determine an order of merit within the various nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors. In the order of merit, six criteria (effectiveness, safety, tolerance, convenience, usability and costs) are weighted against each other.

Comparison of two once-daily regimens with a regimen consisting of nelfinavir, didanosine, and stavudine in antiretroviral therapy-naïve adults: 48-week results from the Antiretroviral Regimen Evaluation Study (ARES).

Background: To improve the dosing frequency and pill burden of antiretroviral therapy, we compared two once-daily dosed regimens to a twice-daily dosed regimen.

Method: HIV-1-infected, antiretroviral drug-naïve adults were randomized to either twice-daily nelfinavir and stavudine and once-daily didanosine (regimen A) or simplified once-daily dosed antiretroviral regimens consisting of nevirapine, didanosine, and lamivudine (regimen B) or saquinavir, ritonavir, didanosine, and lamivudine (regimen C).

Results: At 48 weeks of therapy, the proportion of patients with a blood plasma HIV-1 RNA concentration (pVL) <50 copies/mL by intention-to treat analysis was 42.