Important note: Information in this article was accurate in July 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, July 23 & 30, 2001
Sonia Bell-Nichols, Senior Medical Writer
NewsRx - A European study indicates the drug nevirapine, used in AIDS regimens, may cause liver problems, especially in patients with poor liver function, coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), or who have taken other antiretroviral drugs.
The study analyzed hepatotoxicity while taking nevirapine in 610 patients with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), including 82 patients who had never taken antiretroviral therapy before. Several of the patients had hepatitis B virus (HBV) or HCV coinfections.
After taking nevirapine for a median of 8.7 months, liver toxicity developed in 12.5% of the patients, according to Esteban Martinez and colleagues, University Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.
The incidence of liver toxicity increased with the duration of use, researchers said ("Hepatotoxicity in HIV 1-infected patients receiving nevirapine-containing antiretroviral therapy," AIDS 2001 Jul 6;15(10):1261-8.
"In seven (1.1%) patients, hepatotoxicity was associated with viral hepatitis, which was reversible upon discontinuation of therapy," Martinez and coworkers said.
Statistical analysis showed independent risk factors for developing hepatoxicity while using nevirapine were using any antiretroviral agents previously, being HCV positive, and having elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase, a test for liver function.
Martinez and colleagues cautioned that nevirapine increases the risk for liver toxicity in patients infected with HIV, and duration of use increases that risk. Other independent risk factors may also predispose patients to liver toxicity, they added.
The corresponding author for this study is Esteban Martinez, Unit of Infectious Diseases, August Pi I Sunyer Institute of Biomedical Investigation, University Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.
Key points reported in this study include:
This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.
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