A STUDY OF IMMUNE RESPONSE AND SIDE EFFECTS OF SECOND LINE ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY IN HIV/ AIDS PATIENTS.

Only recently second line ART treatment has become available in developing countries. The data on the effects of the second line ART in these settings are limited. Our aim was to analyze treatment outcomes of patients receiving second line antiretroviral therapy (ART) through the National AIDS Control Programme of India. This study was carried out in 28 patients more than 18 years of age; on second line ART as per NACO guidelines at Pt B D Sharma PGIMS Rohtak, a tertiary care hospital in Haryana which is a low prevalence state. The patients were followed up for six months. The study cohort was having mean age of 32±10.77 years. Patients were prescribed Second line ART regimen according to NACO guidelines i.e. fixed dose combination of Tenofovir 300 mg+ lamivudine 300mg once daily in tablet form; tablet Atazanavir 300mg and tablet Ritonavir 100mg ; each tablet to be taken simultaneously daily. At the end of study, mean body weight increased from 52.11±10.46 Kg to 55.29 ± 10.70 Kg; Mean BMI increased from 19.05 ± 3.11 Kg/m2 to 20.24 ± 3.23 Kg/m2 and mean hemoglobin increased from 11.53±2.33 gm% to 11.71±3.62 gm%. After six months on second line ART the mean CD4 count of the cohort has increased from 80 to 214 cells per cumm and mean HIV RNA load decreased from 472189.29 copies per ml to 426.39 copies per ml. The rise in weight ,BMI, CD4 count and fall in HIV RNA was statistically significant (P ?0.05).