Short Communication: Lack of Indinavir-Associated Nephrological Complications in HIV-Infected Adults (Predominantly Women) with High Indinavir Plasma Concentration in Abidjan,Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

To report the tolerance of indinavir combined with ritonavir (IDV/r 800/100 mg) twice daily (bid) in sub-Saharan African HIV-infected adults. HAART-naives patients started zidovudine plus lamivudine plus IDV/r 800/100 mg bid. Follow-up included standardized documentation of morbidity, CD4⁺ cell count, creatininemia, plasma HIV-1 RNA, and IDV minimal plasma concentration (C_min) measurements at month 1 (M1), M3, and M6. Seventy HIV-1-infected adults (68 women, median CD4 235/mm³) started HAART. At M6, 63% had undetectable viral load, and the median gain in CD4 since baseline was +128/mm³. During the first 6 months, 21 patients experimented with 23 treatment modifications (reduction in IDV/r 400/100 mg bid, n = 11; switch to efavirenz, n = 11; zidovudine replaced by stavudine, n = 1), including 22 for digestive intolerance and 1 for severe anemia. At M1, M3, and M6, 67, 59, and 48 patients were still receiving IDV/r 800/100 mg bid, of whom 70%, 72%, and 60% had IDV Cmin above 5 ng/ml, respectively. In these patients, at M1, M3, and M6, the mean (± SD) IDV C_min were 3431 ± 3835 ng/ml, 2288 ± 2116 ng/ml, and 1543 ± 2398 ng/ml, respectively. There was no renal insufficiency of any grade, and no symptoms of urinary stones. The IDV/r 800/100 mg bid-containing regimen led to high IDV Cmin and a high rate of digestive intolerance. There was a surprising lack of nephrological side effects during the 6 months of follow-up, supporting the hypothesis that nephrological tolerance of IDV might be higher in sub-Saharan African individuals than in Americans or Europeans.