“These long-term nonprogressors [Hiv+ people who remained healthy] are a
heterogeneous group with respect to viral load and HIV-1 responses…none
had been treated with antiretroviral agents.”

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, 12: 585 (1996)
– Harrer, Thomas, et al, Aids Researchers

________

“…588 men; 42 were 10-15 year non-progressors. Only 38% of the HLP
[Healthy long-term positives] had ever used zidovudine [AZT] or other
nucleoside analogues, compared with 94% of the progressors [those who
developed AIDS].”
AIDS, 8:1123 (1994)

– Buchbinder, Susan, et al, Aids Researchers

“Subjects: homosexual men in Amsterdam. “None of the LTAs [long-term
asymptomatics–people who remained healthy]…received any antiviral drugs
during the study [7 years].”

Journal of Infectious Diseases, 171:811 (1995)
– Hogervorst E, et al, Aids Researchers

“Subjects: homosexual men in Amsterdam. “None of the LTAs [long-term
asymptomatics–people who remained healthy]…received any antiviral drugs
during the study [7 years].”

Journal of Infectious Diseases, 171:811 (1995)
– Hogervorst E, et al, Aids Researchers

“…Choosing between many of these [HAART] combinations is, therefore,
increasingly dependent upon knowledge of antiretroviral
toxicities...[which include] myopathy [gross muscle atrophy] (zidovudine
[AZT]), neuropathy (stavudine, didanosine, zalcitabine; hepatic steatosis
and lactic acidaemia (didanosine, stavudine, zidovudine); and possible
also peripheral lipoatrophy and pancreatitis (didanosine)...drug
hypersensitivity... lipodystrophy...[including] peripheral fat loss
(Presumed lipoatrophy in the face, limbs and buttocks) and central fat
accumulation (within the abdomen, breasts and over the dorsocervical spine
[so-called buffalo hump]...[and prevalent in] about 50% [of patients]
after 12-18 months of therapy...Metabolic features significantly
associated with lipodystrophy and protease-inhibitor therapy include
hypertriglyceridaemia, hypercholesterolaemia, insulin resistance...and
type 2 ...diabetes mellitus. Dyslipidaemia at concentrations associated
with increased cardiovascular disease occurs in about 70% of patients.
These metabolic abnormalities are more profound in those receiving
protease inhibitors...Most cases of diabetes have been identified in
recipients of protease inhibitors...Anemia and granulocytopenia affect
about 5-10% of patients who receive zidovudine...Virtually all
antiretroviral medications can cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea early
in therapy...Diarrhea is probably most common with protease
inhibitors...Most antiretroviral agents have been associated with hepatic
[liver] toxicity...Most protease inhibitors seem to result in increased
rates of spontaneous bleeding (bruising, haemarthrosis, and rarely
intracranial haemorrhage) in haemophiliacs... 25-35% of patients cannot
tolerate [AZT monotherapy] or triple combination therapy for 4 weeks...”

Lancet. 2000 Oct 21;356:1423-0.
– Carr A, Cooper DA, Aids Researchers

“FDA received reports of 22 cases of serious adverse events related to NVP
[Nevirapine/Viramune] taken for PEP [post-exposure prophylaxis] from March
1997 through September 2000. These 22 events included hepatotoxicity (12),
skin reaction (14), and rhabdomyolysis (one); four cases involved both
hepatotoxicity and skin reaction, and one case involved both
rhabdomyolysis and skin reaction.”

MMWR. 2001 Jan 5;49(51):1153-6
– CDC. Serious adverse events attributed to Nevirapine regimens for
postexposure prophylaxis after HIV exposures worldwide 1997-2000.

“1 patient [out of 10 in this 72 week clinical trial of combination
therapy with nucleoside analogs (zidovudine-AZT, lamivudine-3TC and
didanosine-ddI), Protease Inhibitors (saquinavir and ritonavir) as well as
interleukin-2] suffered from severe anemia resulting from ZDV [AZT]
therapy and was switched to d4T [another nucleoside analog] at week 20...8
patients had minor gastrointestinal side effects on initiation of HAART.”

J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2001 Jan 1;26(1):44-55
– Lafeuillade A, et al, Aids Researchers