Immune and Viral Status of HIV-Infected Patients After Stopping Combination Antiretroviral Therapy

Inclusion Criteria

• •Subjects greater than or equal to 18 years of age.
• •HIV infection confirmed by ELISA and Western blot.
• •Ability to sign informed consent and willingness to comply with study requirements and clinic policies.
• •In the judgment of the PI, patient has satisfactory knowledge of the benefits of continuing HAART as well as the risks of discontinuing such treatment. The patient has a private physician and the decision to interrupt antiretroviral therapy, the target point (i.e. viral load or CD4+ T cell count) to reinitiate therapy, and the regiment of antiretrovirals used upon re-initiation of therapy will be made with this private physician.
• •History of at least 2 months of ongoing HAART, defined as a minimum three drug regimen consisting of at least two nucleoside analogs and one protease inhibitor or two nucleoside analogs and one NNRTI or three nucleosides in place of other drug classes OR patients that are currently off therapy who are planning on resuming or initiating a HAART regimen within the next 3 months.
• •No baseline CD4 counts greater than or equal to 350 cells/microL, with confirmation, within the last 3 months.
• •Asymptomatic for significant HIV-related illnesses, such as opportunistic infections and malignancies other than mucocutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma.
• •For patients on IL-2 therapy, agreement to resume HAART while undergoing treatment cycles.