The use of corticosteroids does not influence CD4+ lymphocyte recovery in HIV-infected patients with advanced immunodeficiency |
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Authors: | Berend J. van Welzen Tamar I. de Vries Joop E. Arends Tania Mudrikova Andy I. M. Hoepelman |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlandsb.j.vanwelzen@umcutrecht.nl https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5601-4207;3. Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands |
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Abstract: | ABSTRACTCorticosteroids inhibit HIV-related immune activation and seem to have a mild favorable effect on immunological recovery in patients with CD4+ counts ≥200?cells/mm3. Data in patients with advanced immunodeficiency are lacking. We analyzed whether corticosteroids negatively influence the short-term CD4+ lymphocyte recovery in patients with CD4+ cell counts <200?cells/mm3 started on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). We performed a retrospective cohort analysis including all HIV-infected patients under follow-up in our hospital with a documented episode of Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia (PJP) in the cART era. CD4+ lymphocyte recovery was assessed at three months after the episode of PJP and subsequent start of cART, comparing patients that received adjunctive corticosteroids (AC) versus patients that did not receive corticosteroids (standard care (SC)). In total, 66 patients with an episode of PJP were identified with 38 patients in the AC-group versus 28 patients in the SC-group. Almost all baseline characteristics were similar, including mean CD4+ lymphocyte counts. After three months, the mean CD4+ cell count did not differ; 222?cells/mm3 for the SC-group versus 259?cells/mm3 for the AC-group (p?=?.29). The use of corticosteroids does not alter CD4+ lymphocyte recovery in HIV-infected patients with advanced immunodeficiency in the first months of antiretroviral therapy. |
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Keywords: | HIV Corticosteroids Pneumocystis Immune recovery |
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