Treatment Outcomes and Characteristics of HIV-2 Patients Compared to HIV-1 Patients on an NNRTI-based First Line Art at the Adult Infectious Diseases Centre of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka

Introduction: the focus of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Zambia has been on HIV-1. However, some patients are infected with HIV-2 or both. HIV-2 is resistant to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), drugs used for HIV-1. Therefore, this study sought to determine the seroprevalence of HIV-2 or dual infection in HIV infected individuals and compare the treatment outcomes associated with HIV subtype in patients taking NNRTI-based first line cART at the University Teaching Hospitals (UTH).

Methods: this was a cross- sectional study, we collected data from the Virological Impact of Switching from Efavirenz and Nevirapine based first-line cART regimens to Dolutegravir (VISEND) study being conducted at UTH. Ninety six individuals were included in the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between treatment outcomes and HIV type.

Results: the proportion of HIV 1 and 2 co-infected patients was 5.2% (95% CI 2%-12%). The mean age was 46 years ± 2 years with 60 (62.5%) being females. The median viral load was 1.3 log 10 copies/ml, IQR 0-1.7 log 10 copies/ml and the median absolute CD4+ T cell count increased from 231 to 463 cells/mm (p < 0.001) after being on cART for one year or more. The study did not report any associations between treatment outcomes and HIV type (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: there is a small proportion of patients that are HIV 1 and 2 co-infected but are on an NNRTI-based cART regimen, drugs that are not active against HIV-2. This, however, does not seem to significantly affect the patient´s virological or immunological treatment outcome.