Duration of HIV-1 viral suppression on cessation of antiretroviral therapy in primary infection correlates with time on therapy.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:A minority of HIV-1 positive individuals treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) in primary HIV-1 infection (PHI) maintain viral suppression on stopping. Whether this is related to ART duration has not been explored. DESIGN:And Methods: Using SPARTAC trial data from individuals recruited within 6 months of seroconversion, we present an observational analysis investigating whether duration of ART was associated with post-treatment viraemic control. Kaplan-Meier estimates, logistic regression and Cox models were used. RESULTS:165 participants reached plasma viral loads (VL) 12 weeks compared to ≤12 weeks (p=0.061). Cumulative probabilities of remaining 12 weeks. In multivariable regression, ART for >12 weeks was independently associated with a lower probability of being ≥400 copies/ml within 12 weeks of ART stop (OR=0.11 (95%CI=0.03,0.34), p<0.001)). In Cox models of time to VL ≥400 after 12 weeks, we only found an association with female sex (OR=0.2, p=0.001). CONCLUSION:Longer ART duration in PHI was associated with a higher probability of viral control after ART stop. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Controlled-Trials.com 76742797 http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN76742797.