TITLE:
Trends of HIV Viral Load in Patients under Combined Antiretroviral Treatment in Bangui, Central African Republic
AUTHORS:
Yawo Tufa Nyasenu, Alain Farra, Serge Ghislain Djorie, Brice Martial Yambiyo, Alexandre Manirakiza, Gilles Stephane Ngaya, Sandrine Moussa, Pulchérie Pelembi, Davy Martial Golongba, Aubin Bere, Rodolphe Mambely-Nzako, Marie-Joëlle Mandeng, Alain Berlioz-Arthaud, Pierre-Alain Rubbo, Jean-Pierre Lombart
KEYWORDS:
Plasma Viral Load, Failure, HIV-1, Bangui, CAR
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of AIDS,
Vol.8 No.2,
June
27,
2018
ABSTRACT: Background: The
success of antiretroviral therapy requires better virological monitoring. We
described the virological profile of patients on combined antiretroviral
therapy (cART) for HIV/AIDS in Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR). Methods: In this prospective cohort study of patients who had been on combined
antiretroviral therapy treatment (cART) for at least 12 months in Bangui, only
one HIV plasma viral load per patient was realized at the Institut Pasteur of
Bangui, between April 4th and November 28th, 2017. Sociodemographic
and biological data were collected. Blood samples were taken for viral load.
The biocentric generic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load test was used to
quantify a ribonucleic acid (RNA) HIV-1. Data were analyzed with Stata software
version 14. Chi-squared test was used to analyse viral load according to sex
and age. The level of significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: A total of 3569 patients
were recruited, with a mean age of 40 years (median, 42 years; range, 1 - 84),
patients aged 40 - 49 predominating (34.2%). The sex ratio was 0.4. No virus
was detectable in plasma from 49.2% of patients, while 42.4% had virological
failure (viral load, ≥1000 copies/mL) according to WHO criteria. The risk for
virological failure decreased with age (P = 0.001) and was higher among females than males (P =
0.001). Conclusions: The rate of virological failure among patients on
cART is very high in the CAR, despite the availability of and access to
monitoring of HIV plasma viral load in Bangui. Therefore, adherence to
treatment should be evaluated and reinforced in Bangui, CAR.