A multicenter clinical trial of oral ribavirin in HIV-infected patients with lymphadenopathy
Article Abstract:
A trial of the antiviral drug ribavirin was conducted with 164 patients from six hospitals who were infected with HIV to test its effectiveness and tolerance. The men, all over age 18, were infected with HIV but showed no symptoms except for generalized lymphadenopathy syndrome (LAS), where the lymph nodes are enlarged to a degree that they can be felt by palpation. Two doses of ribavirin were tested. During the 24 weeks of treatment, 16 percent of the subjects who received a placebo (the control group), 7 percent of those receiving ribavirin at the 600 mg dose, and none out of 53 receiving ribavirin at the 800 mg dose developed AIDS. Therefore, the number of cases of HIV infection that progressed to AIDS was significantly different between those treated with 800 mg of ribavirin and those who were treated with 600 mg of ribavirin or who did not receive any treatment. There were no serious side effects of ribavirin. Adverse reactions that did occur, such as the development of anemia (low levels of red blood cells), were no longer present four weeks after the 24-week treatment. Long-term studies are needed to see if side effects develop or if the reduced progression to AIDS continues for longer periods of time. It is not understood why laboratory tests did not show a change, after treatment with ribavirin, in the levels of certain proteins of the virus or immune cells that are used to analyze the status of the viral infection and the immune system. This also needs to be studied further. On the basis of this experiment, the effectiveness of ribavarin in preventing the progression to AIDS remains to be proven. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0894-9255
Year: 1990
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Multicenter clinical trial of oral ribavirin in symptomatic HIV-infected patients
Article Abstract:
The drug ribavirin does not appear to affect the rate of progression to AIDS among patients with pre-AIDS HIV disease or AIDS-related complex (ARC). Previous studies have indicated ribavirin may inhibit replication of various viruses. Of 215 patients with pre-AIDS HIV disease or ARC, 74 took 800 milligrams (mg) of ribavirin, 71 took 600 mg of ribavirin and 70 took placebo. In the 28 weeks following onset of the study, 15 patients taking placebo, 10 patients taking 600 mg of ribavirin and 18 patients taking 800 mg of ribavirin developed AIDS. Neither dose of ribavirin significantly slowed or blocked progression to AIDS nor did they affect other factors implicated in AIDS progression such as CD4 cell counts. The only side effects of ribavirin treatment were mild.
Publication Name: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0894-9255
Year: 1993
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