PLoS ONE (Jan 2012)

The frequency of malaria is similar among women receiving either lopinavir/ritonavir or nevirapine-based antiretroviral treatment.

  • Tina S Skinner-Adams,
  • Alice S Butterworth,
  • Kimberly A Porter,
  • Ronald D'Amico,
  • Fred Sawe,
  • Doug Shaffer,
  • Abraham Siika,
  • Mina C Hosseinipour,
  • Elizabeth Stringer,
  • Judith S Currier,
  • Tsungai Chipato,
  • Robert Salata,
  • Shahin Lockman,
  • Joseph J Eron,
  • Steven R Meshnick,
  • James S McCarthy

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0034399
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 4
p. e34399

Abstract

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HIV protease inhibitors (PIs) show antimalarial activity in vitro and in animals. Whether this translates into a clinical benefit in HIV-infected patients residing in malaria-endemic regions is unknown. We studied the incidence of malaria, as defined by blood smear positivity or a positive Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 antigen test, among 444 HIV-infected women initiating antiretroviral treatment (ART) in the OCTANE trial (A5208; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00089505). Participants were randomized to treatment with PI-containing vs. PI-sparing ART, and were followed prospectively for ≥48 weeks; 73% also received cotrimoxazole prophylaxis. PI-containing treatment was not associated with protection against malaria in this study population.