You are here

  • Home
  • Archive
  • Volume 91, Issue Suppl 2
  • LB1.2 Pilot study of immediate antiretrovirals and behavioural intervention for persons with acute hiv infection: opportunity for interrupting transmission

Article Text

Article menu

Download PDFPDF

Late Breaker Oral Presentations
LB1.2 Pilot study of immediate antiretrovirals and behavioural intervention for persons with acute hiv infection: opportunity for interrupting transmission
Free
  1. SE Rutstein1,2,
  2. A Pettifor3,
  3. S Phiri4,
  4. D Pasquale3,
  5. A Dennis2,
  6. M Hosseinipour5,
  7. G Kamanga5,
  8. D Nsona4,
  9. I Hoffman2,
  10. WC Miller2,3
  1. 1Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  2. 2Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  3. 3Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  4. 4Lighthouse Trust Clinic, Lilongwe, Malawi
  5. 5UNC Project, Lilongwe, Malawi

Abstract

Introduction Persons with acute HIV infection (AHI) contribute disproportionately to transmission. In a pilot study, we evaluated a short-term, behavioural and biomedical intervention among persons with AHI in Malawi.

Methods We enrolled persons with AHI. AHI was defined as negative or discordant antibody test (s) with detectable virus. Persons were randomised 1:2:2 to standard counselling (SC), a four-session behavioural intervention (BI), or behavioural intervention plus 12 weeks of antiretrovirals (BIA), and followed 26–52 weeks. ARV resistance was assessed at baseline and after therapy. Participants were asked to refer partners for testing. Follow-up was completed in August 2014; phylogenetic analyses were completed in May 2015.

Results We identified 59 persons with AHI and enrolled 46 (9 [SC], 18 [BI], 19 [BIA]). Average age was 25; 61% were male. Median viral load (VL) was 5.9 log copies/ml (6.7 [SC]; 5.1 [BI]; 6.1 [BIA]). At week four, 64% (11/17) of BIA participants were suppressed (<1000 copies/ml), versus 12% (2/17 [BI]) and 25% (2/8 [SC]) (p < 0.001). VL rebounded after ARV discontinuation. No ARV resistance accumulated after exposure. Risk behaviours decreased across all arms: participants reported fewer sexual encounters at week four versus baseline (4.4 vs 8.7, p = 0.003) and fewer encounters without condoms (21% vs 63%, p < 0.001). 41% (19/46) referred partners; 15 were HIV-infected and 2 seroconverted during follow-up. 13 of 15 HIV-infected partners had nucleotide sequences available; 92% (12/13) were phylogenetically linked with AHI index.

Conclusion ARV quickly reduced viremia below transmissible levels and did not induce resistance; however, patients experienced rapid virological rebound after discontinuation. Sexual risk decreased rapidly in all arms. Most referred partners with available sequences were linked transmissions with the AHI index. Early diagnosis with standard AHI counselling and early ARV referral may be sufficient to reduce transmission risk.

Disclosure of interest statement This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, USA; ARVs donated by Merck and Gilead.

https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2015-052270.207

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.