Antiretroviral drug reduction in highly experienced HIV-infected patients receiving a multidrug regimen: the ECOVIR study.

Objectives: In a context of life-long therapy, we asked whether it could be possible to reduce the number of antiretroviral drugs without jeopardizing viral suppression.

Methods: ECOVIR was a prospective study aiming to assess whether in patients on combination ART with ≥4 antiretrovirals for ≥24 weeks and virally suppressed for ≥48 weeks, a drug-reduced (DR) regimen could be proposed. The intervention consisted of discontinuing genotypically less susceptible drugs to reach a DR regimen with ≤3 antiretrovirals.

Dolutegravir as monotherapy in HIV-1-infected individuals with suppressed HIV viraemia.

Background: Reducing drug burden is a key challenge for achieving lifelong suppressive HIV therapy. Dolutegravir, with a high potency, long half-life and high genetic barrier, offers potential for monotherapy.

Methods: This observational single-centre study enrolled all patients with HIV RNA (viral load) <50 copies/mL for at least 12 months, with CD4 >350 cells/mm(3) and with no failure under integrase inhibitor therapy who had switched from suppressive ART to dolutegravir monotherapy (50 mg/day).

Aortic stiffness aging is influenced by past profound immunodeficiency in HIV-infected individuals: results from the EVAS-HIV (EValuation of Aortic Stiffness in HIV-infected individuals).

Objective: We compared aortic stiffness between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals and examined the determinants of vascular aging during HIV infection.

Methods: Aortic stiffness using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) was evaluated cross-sectionally between HIV-infected individuals and uninfected controls frequency-matched for age and sex, and longitudinally in a subgroup of HIV-infected individuals. Determinants of elevated cf-PWV levels were assessed using logistic regression.

Reduction in triglyceride level with N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in HIV-infected patients taking potent antiretroviral therapy: a randomized prospective study.

To assess the evolution of triglyceride (TG) levels in HIV-infected patients receiving stable potent antiretroviral therapy treated with N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), a prospective double-blind randomized design for a reliable assessment of TG evolution was performed. One hundred twenty-two patients with TG levels >2 g/L and < or =10 g/L after a 4-week diet (baseline TG: 4.5 +/- 1.