Adverse effects of antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection: a review of selected topics

In the current era of HIV treatment, the toxicity profiles of antiretroviral drugs have increasingly emerged as a basis for selecting initial antiretroviral regimens as well as a reason for switching therapy in treatment-experienced patients. In this respect, an intensive research effort involving clinical research as well as basic science research over the past six years, has focused on the cluster of metabolic and body composition abnormalities that have come to be termed the 'lipodystrophy syndrome'. These data have now provided a clear and clinically relevant understanding of the individual profiles of drugs within the nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor , HIV protease inhibitor and non-nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor drug classes, and have provided a rational basis for assessing and monitoring these adverse effects in clinical practice. In this review, current and emerging drug toxicities are considered with an emphasis on lipodystrophy complications.