Protease Inhibitors Linked to Preterm Delivery

In a randomized trial, women who received PI-based ART in their third trimester were twice as likely to deliver prematurely as those who received triple-nucleoside therapy.

Some observational studies have suggested that the use of protease inhibitor (PI)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) during pregnancy increases the risk for preterm delivery, but the data have been conflicting. Now, researchers have evaluated this risk retrospectively among women who participated in the Mma Bana trial in Botswana.

More than 500 pregnant HIV-infected women without AIDS were randomized to receive either a PI-based regimen (AZT/3TC + lopinavir/ritonavir) or a triple-nucleoside regimen (AZT/3TC/abacavir). ART was started between 26 and 34 weeks' gestation and continued through breast-feeding to a maximum of 6 months postpartum, or longer if indicated for maternal health. Preterm delivery was defined as <37 weeks' gestation.

There…

Reviewing Author

Sonia Nagy Chimienti, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Sonia Nagy Chimienti, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Protease Inhibitors Linked to Preterm Delivery

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Reviewing Author