High level of viral suppression and low switch rate to second-line antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected adult patients followed over five years: retrospective analysis of the DART trial

Men missing from the HIV care continuum in sub-Saharan Africa: a meta-analysis and meta-synthesis

Introduction

Men are missing along the HIV care continuum. However, the estimated proportions of men in sub‐Saharan Africa meeting the UNAIDS 95‐95‐95 goals vary substantially between studies. We sought to estimate proportions of men meeting each of the 95‐95‐95 goals across studies in sub‐Saharan Africa, describe heterogeneity, and summarize qualitative evidence on factors influencing care engagement.

Methods

We systematically searched PubMed and Embase for peer‐reviewed articles published between 1 January 2014 and 16 October 2020. We included studies involving men ≥15 years old, with data from 2009 onward, reporting on at least one 95‐95‐95 goal in sub‐Saharan Africa. We estimated pooled proportions of men meeting these goals using DerSimonion‐Laird random effects models, stratifying by study population (e.g. studies focusing exclusively on men who have sex with men vs. studies that did not), facility setting (healthcare vs. community site), region (eastern/southern Africa vs. western/central Africa), outcome measurement (e.g. threshold for viral load suppression), median year of data collection (before vs. during or after 2017) and quality criteria. Data from qualitative studies exploring barriers to men's HIV care engagement were summarized using meta‐synthesis.

Results and discussion

We screened 14,896 studies and included 129 studies in the meta‐analysis, compiling data over the data collection period. Forty‐seven studies reported data on knowledge of serostatus, 43 studies reported on antiretroviral therapy use and 74 studies reported on viral suppression. Approximately half of men with HIV reported not knowing their status (0.49 [95% CI, 0.41–0.58; range, 0.09–0.97]) or not being on treatment (0.58 [95% CI, 0.51–0.65; range, 0.07–0.97]), while over three‐quarters of men achieved viral suppression on treatment (0.79 [95% CI, 0.77–0.81; range, 0.39–0.97]. Heterogeneity was high, with variation in estimates across study populations, settings and outcomes. The meta‐synthesis of 40 studies identified three primary domains in which men described risks associated with engagement in HIV care: perceived social norms, health system challenges and poverty.

Conclusions

Psychosocial and systems‐level interventions that change men's perceptions of social norms, improve trust in and accessibility of the health system, and address costs of accessing care are needed to better engage men, especially in HIV testing and treatment.

Treatment Failure and Associated Factors among Individuals on Second Line Antiretroviral Therapy in Eastern Uganda: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background:

ART failure is a growing public health problem and a major threat to the progress of HIV/AIDS control. In Uganda however, little is documented on treatment outcomes and their associated factors among individuals on second line ART regimen. The rapid scale-up of ART over the past has resulted in substantial reductions in morbidity and mortality. However, as millions of people must be maintained on ART for life, individuals with ART treatment failure are increasingly encountered and the numbers are expected to rise. This could be attributed to factors such as sub-standard regimens, limited access to routine viral load monitoring, treatment interruptions, suboptimal adherence, among others. The purpose of this study was to estimate 5-year cumulative treatment failure and the associated factors among individuals on second line ART regimen Eastern Uganda.

Materials and methods:

A retrospective analysis of 541 records of HIV positive individuals, switched to second line ART regimen from January 2012 to December 2017. Inferential statistics including the Chi square test and multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to determine associations of treatment failure against of the selected demographic, laboratory and clinical factors was performed. Associations between treatment failure and the predictors was based on a P-value of less than 5% and confidence intervals level of 95%.

Results:

We reviewed 541 records of individuals on second line ART regimen, of which 350 (64.7%) were female, 226 (41.8%) were married, and 197 (36.4%) were older than 35 years. The mean age at ART initiation was 30 years (SD = 14.8), while the mean weight at ART initiation was 47 kg (SD = 18.6), (range 4-97 kg). The overall proportion of treatment failure was 23%. The cumulative mortality risk for 5 years was 12.4% and the mortality rate was 2.5 deaths per 100 individuals per year. The odds of developing treatment failure among individuals switched to ATV/r-based regimen were 44% lower as compared to individuals who were switched to LPV/r (OR_adj0.56, 95% CI 0.35-0.90, P = .016). while the odds of experiencing treatment failure among individuals that used AZT at ART initiation were 43% lower as compared to individuals that used a TDF based regimen at ART initiation (OR_adj0.57, 95% CI 0.33-0.98, P = .041).

Conclusion:

The 5 year cumulative incidence of treatment failure in a cohort of 541 individuals was 23%. The type of protease inhibitor (PI) used in second line regimen and use of AZT at ART initiation were significantly associated with treatment failure. Our study also shows that the cumulative mortality risk while on second line ART regimen was 12.4% while the mortality rate was 2.5 deaths per 100 individuals per year. Given the high level of treatment failure among individuals on second line ART regimen, yet the current ART protocols limits the use of third line ART regimens to only regional referral hospitals, the Ministry of Health should strengthen the surveillance systems for identifying individuals failing on second line ART regimen even at district hospitals and lower health facilities to facilitate timely switch to optimal regimen. The Ministry of health through the Quality Improvement Division should conduct routine onsite support supervision to sites offering ART to ensure that treatment guides and other standard of care like timely switch to appropriate regimens among others are being adhered to. Knowledge gaps identified can also be addressed through onsite Continuous Medical Educations.

Factors associated with virological non-suppression among HIV-positive children receiving antiretroviral therapy at the Joint Clinical Research Centre in Lubowa, Kampala Uganda

BACKGROUND

While the proportion of HIV-positive children (under 15 years) enrolled on antiretroviral therapy (ART) has increased in recent years, up to 60% of children started on ART do not achieve virological suppression. We set out to determine the factors associated with virological non-suppression among children living with HIV receiving ART at a peri-urban HIV care clinic in Kampala, Uganda.

METHOD

This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at the pediatric HIV/AIDS clinic at the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) in Kampala, Uganda. Three hundred (300) HIV-positive children (0-14 years) were randomly selected from existing medical records and data on children's socio-demographic and clinical characteristics (age at ART initiation, WHO clinical staging, and ART-induced side effects) were abstracted using a data abstraction form. Virological non-suppression was defined as a viral load ≥1000 copies/Ml of blood after six months of ART initiation. Incident rate ratios (IRRs) were determined as a measure of association between virological non-suppression and child/patient characteristics. The IRRs were obtained via a modified Poisson regression with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). All analyses were done using statistical package, Stata version 15.

RESULTS

The overall non-suppression rate among HIV-positive children on ART was 23%. Being at WHO clinical stage 4 at ART initiation [adj. IRR 2.74; 95%CI: 1.63, 4.61] and ART-induced side effects [adj. IRR 1.77; 95%CI: 1.06, 2.97] were significantly associated with non-suppression. Older age at ART initiation (age 5-9 years: [adj. IRR 0.42; 95%CI: 0.28, 0.65]; age 10-14 years: [adj. IRR 0.34; 95%CI: 0.18, 0.64] was less likely to be associated with virological non-suppression.

CONCLUSION

Nearly a quarter of HIV-positive children on ART had a non-suppressed viral load after six months of treatment. Being at WHO clinical stage 4 at ART initiation and ART-induced side effects were significantly associated with virological non-suppression while older age at ART initiation was protective. Our findings suggest a need for age-specific interventions, particularly those targeting children below five years of age, to improve virological suppression among HIV-positive children receiving ART in this setting.

New Insights on Long-Term Hepatitis B Virus Responses in HIV-Hepatitis B virus Co-infected Patients: Implications for Antiretroviral Management in Hepatitis B virus-Endemic Settings

BACKGROUND

WHO treatment guidelines recommend tenofovir plus lamivudine or emtricitabine as the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor backbone in first-line regimens for HIV-infected adults. Lamivudine alone is not recommended, because of the risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) resistance. We studied HBV responses in a large cohort of co-infected patients in a resource-limited setting.

SETTING

Clinical centers in Uganda and Zimbabwe.

METHODS

DART was a randomized trial of monitoring practices in HIV-infected adults starting antiretroviral therapy. Baseline samples were tested retrospectively for HBV serological markers and HBV DNA. Longitudinal HBV DNA testing at 48 weeks and the last available sample before HBV-relevant modification of antiretroviral therapy was performed on patients with detectable HBV DNA at baseline.

RESULTS

Two hundred twenty-four hepatitis B surface antigen-positive patients were followed for up to 4.8 years. Of the drugs with anti-HBV activity, 166 were prescribed lamivudine-tenofovir and 58 lamivudine alone. Ninety-eight percent (96/98) patients with baseline HBV DNA <6 log10 IU/mL achieved viral suppression at 48 weeks (HBV DNA <48 IU/mL), regardless of regimen, compared with 50%(26/52) for HBV DNA >6 log10 IU/mL. Of the 83 patients suppressed at 48 weeks and with follow-up data, only 7(8%) experienced viral rebound (range 200-3460 IU/mL). Of the 20 patients not suppressed at 48 weeks and with follow-up data, HBV DNA levels generally declined with lamivudine-tenofovir, but increased with lamivudine alone. Alanine transaminase flares were not observed in any patient who experienced viral rebound.

CONCLUSIONS

The suppressive effect of lamivudine alone was highly durable (up to 5 years) in HIV-HBV co-infected patients with baseline HBV DNA <6 log10 IU/mL. It may be feasible to develop stratified approaches using lamivudine as the only drug with anti-HBV activity.

Antiretroviral Therapy-associated Adverse Drug Reactions and their Effects on Virologic Failure- A Retrospective Cohort Study in Nigeria

Background:

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) can rapidly reverse the gains of ART resulting in poor health outcomes. We need an improved under-standing of specific ART-related ADRs that influence virologic outcomes.

Objective:

To investigate the frequency of clinical ADRs and assess their effect on virologic failure in patients on ART.

Method:

We described the prevalence of major clinical ADRs, and the association between specific ADRs and virologic failure in a clinic cohort of HIV-1 infected Nigerians aged ≥18 years, on first-line ART between June 2004 and February 2012. Multivariable logistic regression was run to identify predictors of virologic failure at 24 and 72 weeks of ART.

Results:

Data of 12,115 patients with a median age of 34 (interquartile range: 29-41) years, and pre-dominantly females (67%) were evaluated. Overall, 957 (7.9%) patients experienced at least one ADR during a median follow-up period of 4 years (interquartile range: 1-7). The three most prevalent ADRs were lipodystrophy (2.6%), anemia (1.9%), and skin rash (0.7%). Virologic failure rate was 36% and 34% at 24 and 72 weeks of ART, respectively. Anemia independently predicted the odds of virologic failure at 72 weeks of ART (adjusted odds ratio, 1.74; 95% CI: 1.2-2.51); adjusted for sex, age, pre-treatment CD4+ cell count, antiretroviral regimen, and medication refill adherence.

Conclusion:

Antiretroviral therapy-associated anemia increases the likelihood of late virologic failure. We recommend routine monitoring of hemoglobin levels and prompt management of anemia in all pa-tients on ART as a strategy to improve virologic success rates.

Results of Early Virologic Monitoring May Facilitate Differentiated Care Monitoring Strategies for Clients on ART, Rakai, Uganda

BACKGROUND

Viral load (VL) monitoring is standard of care in HIV-infected persons initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART). We evaluated the predictive value of VL measurements at 6 and 12 months after initiation of firstline ART to estimate the future risk of virologic failure (VF).

METHODS

HIV-infected persons with VL measurements at 6 and 12 months post-ART initiation and at least 2 additional VL measurements thereafter were assessed for risk of future VF, defined per World Health Organization guidelines. VL at 6 or 12 months post-ART was categorized into <400, 400-1000, 1001-2000, and >2000 copies/mL. Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare VF incidence associated with 6-month, 12-month, and a composite of 6- and 12-month VL prediction indicators.

RESULTS

Overall, 1863 HIV-infected adults had a 6- and 12-month VL measurement, and 1588 had at least 2 additional VLs thereafter for predicting future VF. The majority (67%) were female (median age: females 33 years and males 37 years). At 12 months post-ART, 90% had VL<400 copies/mL (cumulative incidence of VF at 1.5%), 3% had 400-1000 copies/mL (VF 12%), 2% had 1001-2000 copies/mL (VF 22%), and 5% had >2000 copies/mL (VF 71%). The predictive value of the 12-month VL measurement was comparable to the composite of both the 6- and 12-month VL measurements and better than the 6-month VL measurement.

CONCLUSIONS

At 12 months after ART initiation, 90% of patients were virally suppressed with a low likelihood of future VF. VL measurement at 12 months post-ART initiation predicts risk of VF and could inform differentiated virologic monitoring strategies.

SESOTHO trial ("Switch Either near Suppression Or THOusand") - switch to second-line versus WHO-guided standard of care for unsuppressed patients on first-line ART with viremia below 1000 copies/mL: protocol of a multicenter, parallel-group, open-label, randomized clinical trial in Lesotho, Southern Africa

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends viral load (VL) measurement as the preferred monitoring strategy for HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in resource-limited settings. The new WHO guidelines 2016 continue to define virologic failure as two consecutive VL ≥1000 copies/mL (at least 3 months apart) despite good adherence, triggering switch to second-line therapy. However, the threshold of 1000 copies/mL for defining virologic failure is based on low-quality evidence. Observational studies have shown that individuals with low-level viremia (measurable but below 1000 copies/mL) are at increased risk for accumulation of resistance mutations and subsequent virologic failure. The SESOTHO trial assesses a lower threshold for switch to second-line ART in patients with sustained unsuppressed VL.

METHODS

In this multicenter, parallel-group, open-label, randomized controlled trial conducted in Lesotho, patients on first-line ART with two consecutive unsuppressed VL measurements ≥100 copies/mL, where the second VL is between 100 and 999 copies/mL, will either be switched to second-line ART immediately (intervention group) or not be switched (standard of care, according to WHO guidelines). The primary endpoint is viral resuppression (VL < 50 copies/mL) 9 months after randomization. We will enrol 80 patients, giving us 90% power to detect a difference of 35% in viral resuppression between the groups (assuming two-sided 5% alpha error). For our primary analysis, we will use a modified intention-to-treat set, with those lost to care, death, or crossed over considered failure to resuppress, and using logistic regression models adjusted for the prespecified stratification variables.

DISCUSSION

The SESOTHO trial challenges the current WHO guidelines, assessing an alternative, lower VL threshold for patients with unsuppressed VL on first-line ART. This trial will provide data to inform future WHO guidelines on VL thresholds to recommend switch to second-line ART.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03088241 ), registered May 05, 2017.

The virological durability of first-line ART among HIV-positive adult patients in resource limited settings without virological monitoring: a retrospective analysis of DART trial data

BACKGROUND

Few low-income countries have virological monitoring widely available. We estimated the virological durability of first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) after five years of follow-up among adult Ugandan and Zimbabwean patients in the DART study, in which virological assays were conducted retrospectively.

METHODS

DART compared clinically driven monitoring with/without routine CD4 measurement. Annual plasma viral load was measured on 1,762 patients. Analytical weights were calculated based on the inverse probability of sampling. Time to virological failure, defined as the first viral load measurement ≥200 copies/mL after 48 weeks of ART, was analysed using Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox regression models.

RESULTS

Overall, 65% of DART trial patients were female. Patients initiated first-line ART at a median (interquartile range; IQR) age of 37 (32-42) and with a median CD4 cell count of 86 (32-140). After 240 weeks of ART, patients initiating dual-class nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) -non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase (NNRTI) regimens containing nevirapine + zidovudine + lamivudine had a lower incidence of virological failure than patients on triple-NRTI regimens containing tenofovir + zidovudine + lamivudine (21% vs 40%; hazard ratio (HR) =0.48, 95% CI:0.38-0.62; p < 0.0001). In multivariate analyses, female patients (HR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65-0.95; p = 0.02), older patients (HR = 0.73 per 10 years, 95% CI: 0.64-0.84; p < 0.0001) and patients with a higher pre-ART CD4 cell count (HR = 0.64 per 100 cells/mm³, 95% CI: 0.54-0.75; p < 0.0001) had a lower incidence of virological failure after adjusting for adherence to ART. No difference in failure rate between the two randomised monitoring strategies was observed (p= 0.25).

CONCLUSIONS

The long-term durability of virological suppression on dual-class NRTI-NNRTI first-line ART without virological monitoring is remarkable and is enabled by high-quality clinical management and a consistent drug supply. To achieve higher rates of virological suppression viral-load-informed differentiated care may be required.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Prospectively registered on 18/10/2000 as ISRCTN13968779 .

What does sustainability mean in the HIV and AIDS response?

Immense progress has been made in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Achieving and exceeding the AIDS targets for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was accomplished, in large part, due to an unprecedented financial investment from the international community. Following an $800 million dip in donor disbursements in 2010, the discourse has since shifted to the need for greater sustainability of funding. But what does sustainability mean? Current efforts focus heavily on fiscal imperatives such as increasing domestic funding. This is important - needs are increasing at a faster rate than donor funding, especially with increased treatment coverage. The problem is that measures of financial sustainability tell very little about the actual sustainability of specific programmes, disease trajectories or enabling environments. Recognising that current definitions of sustainability lack clarity and depth, we offer a new six-tenet conceptualisation of what sustainability means in the HIV and AIDS response: (1) financial, (2) epidemiological, (3) political, (4) structural, (5) programmatic, and (6) human rights. Based on these, we examine examples of donor transitions for their approach to sustainability, including PEPFAR in South Africa, the Global Fund in Eastern Europe, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in India (Avahan). We conclude that sustainability must be understood within a broader framework beyond funding stability. We also recommend that certain interventions, such as programming for key populations, may have to continue to receive external support even if affected countries can afford to pay.