In a South African AIDS clinic, about 10% of patients experienced immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome shortly after initiating ART. Low baseline CD4-cell count was a major predictor of the syndrome.
Potent antiretroviral therapy (ART) substantially reduces both the likelihood of opportunistic infections (OIs) and the progression of HIV infection to AIDS. Shortly after starting ART, however, as many as 25% of patients experience clinical worsening because of subclinical opportunistic pathogens or recurrence of previously treated conditions. This phenomenon is commonly known as immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS).
Although the burden of OIs is high in sub-Saharan Africa, relatively little is known about the incidence and outcomes of IRIS in this region. To address this gap, investigators conducted a prospective study among AIDS patients initiating ART in South Africa. Of the 423 enrolled patients, 44 (10.4%) developed IRIS …
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardUNAIDS; WHO; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Population Council
Grant/Research SupportNIH; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Tides Foundation/MAC AIDS Fund; USAID; South African National Research Foundation; European Union; South African Medical Research Council
Editorial BoardsNew England Journal of Medicine; AIDS Reviews; AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses; mBio; Indian Journal of Medical Research; JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardUNAIDS; WHO; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Population Council
Grant/Research SupportNIH; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Tides Foundation/MAC AIDS Fund; USAID; South African National Research Foundation; European Union; South African Medical Research Council
Editorial BoardsNew England Journal of Medicine; AIDS Reviews; AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses; mBio; Indian Journal of Medical Research; JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes