Guidelines to Antiretroviral Drug Therapy in Kenya: CHAPTER TWO: MONITORING AND CHANGING THERAPY: 2.1 Surrogate markers

Home page | Help | Clear

English | French

Search | Categories | Titles A-Z | Countries | Compare countries | Index

Expand Document

Printable HTML version

Export document as HTML file Help


	Guidelines to Antiretroviral Drug Therapy in Kenya (WHO; 2001; 78 pages)
		FOREWORD
		ACKNOWLEDGMENT
		CHAPTER ONE: INITIATING ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY
			1.1 Introduction
			1.2 Guidelines to making a diagnosis of HIV infection
			1.3 Laboratory Diagnosis of HIV infection
			1.4 Goals of therapy
			1.5 When to start therapy
			1.6 Risks and benefits of delayed initiation of therapy and of early therapy in the Asymptomatic HIV-Infected Patient
			1.7 Antiretroviral profile
			1.8 What drug combination to start with?
		CHAPTER TWO: MONITORING AND CHANGING THERAPY
			2.1 Surrogate markers
			2.2 Resistance testing
			2.3 How often should CD4 Cell Count and Viral Load be performed (Frequency)
			2.4 Treatment failure
			2.5 Reasons for non-adherence
			2.6 Considerations for changing a failing regimen
			2.7 Guidelines for changing an antiretroviral regimen for suspected drug failure
			2.8 Potential options for changing therapy*
		CHAPTER THREE: PHARMACOTHERAPEUTICS OF ARVS
			3.1 Characteristics of available antiretroviral drugs
			3.2 Pharmacokinetic properties of Antiretrovirals
		CHAPTER FOUR: GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS IN PAEDIATRIC HIV INFECTION
			4.1 Overview
			4.2 Diagnosis of HIV infection in children
			4.3 When to initiate treatment
			4.4 Initiation of treatment
			4.5 Agents to choose for initial treatment
			4.6 Dosages for paediatric formulations
			4.8 Monitoring
			4.9 When to change therapy
		CHAPTER FIVE: MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) INFECTED PREGNANT WOMEN AND PREVENTION OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION (MTCT) OF HIV
			5.1 Overview
			5.2 Factors affecting mother to child transmission
			5.3 Outline antenatal, intrapartum postpartum and postnatal care
			5.4 Antiretroviral Therapy to prevent MTCT
		CHAPTER SIX: SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
			6.1 Acute retroviral syndrome (ARVS)
			6.2 ARV drugs and the treatment of Tuberculosis
			6.3 Immune recovery syndrome
		CHAPTER SEVEN: WHEN TO STOP TREATMENT (INTERRUPTIONS)
			7.1 Structured treatment interruptions (STI's)
			7.2 Non structured treatment interruption
		CHAPTER EIGHT: GUIDELINES FOR POST EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS
			8.1 Treatment of exposure sites
			8.2 Timing of post - HIV exposure prophylaxis initiation
			8.3 Assessment of exposure risk
			8.4 Post - HIV exposure prophylaxis
			8.5 Recommended HIV serology after exposure
			8.6 Management of health care workers with accidental exposure to HIV infection
			8.7 Management of hospital staff with sharp injury or exposure to blood and body fluids
			8.8 Management of non occupational exposure to HIV infection
			8.9 Management of non-sexual and non occupational Exposures to HIV
		CHAPTER NINE: ACCESS TO DRUGS IN KENYA
		APPENDICES
			I. Drug to drug interactions
			II. Drug to drug interactions (continued)
			III. Drug Interactions Between Antiretrovirals and Other Drugs
			IV. Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIS)
			V. Drug Interactions: Protease Inhibitors
			VI. Drug Interactions: Protease Inhibitors and Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors - Cont.
			VII. Drug That Should Not be Used With Antiretrovirals
			VIII. Drugs that should not be used with Protease Inhibitors Antiretrovirals
			IX. HIV-related drugs with overlapping toxicities
			X. Anti-retroviral therapy for preventing MTCT
		BACK COVER

2.1 Surrogate markers

CD4 + Lymphocytes

CD4 cells, also known as Helper T-cells, are a type of lymphocytes which play an important role in immune system. They control both arms of the immune system (humoral and cellular).HIV-I infection targets these CD4 cells resulting in killing of those infected as well as those not yet infected.

The CD4 cell count is a laboratory marker of the strength of one's immune system. Normal CD4 counts in adults range from 500-1800 cells per cubic millimeter of volume. In HIV-1 infection, CD4 cell count is used to determine the progress of HIV disease i.e. (staging) and predicts the risk of developing complications.

Viral Load:

Viral burden in peripheral blood can be determined by using quantitative HIV RNA assays. During the period of primary infection in adults, HIV RNA copies initially rise to high levels. Coincident with the body's humoral and cellmediated immune response, RNA levels decline. Several studies conducted among adults have indicated that infected persons with lower HIV copy number have slower progression and improved survival compared with those with high HIV RNA copy numbers. On the basis of such data, recommendations for the use of HIV RNA copy number in deciding to initiate and change antiretroviral therapy in infected adults have been developed.

Please provide your feedback

English | French