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Induction and Maintenance Therapy with Intermittent Interleukin-2 in HIV-1 Infection
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Blood, Jan 2004
Farel CE, Chaitt DG, Hahn BK, Tavel JA, Kovacs JA, Polis MA, Masur H, Follmann DA, Lane HC, Davey RT, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Abstract
Studies establishing that intermittent sc interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy can lead to substantial CD4 cell increases in many HIV-infected patients have generally been of limited duration.
We studied 77 patients participating in active longitudinal studies of sc IL-2 therapy at our center in order to determine the long-term feasibility of this approach.
Following initial induction, patients in each trial were eligible to receive intermittent 5-day cycles of sc IL-2 treatment at individualized doses and frequencies capable of maintaining CD4 counts at post-induction levels.
The mean duration of study participation to date is 5.9 (range: 1.0 - 9.3) years.
Mean baseline CD4 cell count and CD4% values of 521 cells/microLiter and 27% have risen to 1005 cells/ micro l and 38%, respectively, at 90 months.
The mean number of sc IL-2 cycles required to achieve and maintain these increases was 10 (range: 3 - 29) cycles, and the current mean interval of
cycling required to maintain these elevations is 39 (median = 35, range: 2 - 91) months.
We conclude that sc IL-2 therapy is capable of maintaining CD4 cell increases for an extended period using a remarkably low frequency of intermittent cycling. These observations may contribute to patients' acceptance of sc IL-2 as a favorable long-term treatment strategy.
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