Journal of
AIDS and HIV Research

  • Abbreviation: J. AIDS HIV Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2359
  • DOI: 10.5897/JAHR
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 299

Full Length Research Paper

Single cohort study of the effect of low dose naltrexone on the evolution of immunological, virological and clinical state of HIV+ adults in Mali

Abdel K. TRAORE
  • Abdel K. TRAORE
  • Centre National d’Appui à la lutte contre la Maladie (CNAM), Mali.Hôpital National du Point G (HNPG), Service de Médecine Interne, Mali.
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Oumar THIERO
  • Oumar THIERO
  • Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Appliquée (LBMA), Mali.Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Otondo- Stomatology (FMPOS), Department of Research in Public Health (DER SP), University of Bamako, Mali.
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Sounkalo DAO
  • Sounkalo DAO
  • Hôpital National du Point G (HNPG), Service de Maladies Infectieuses, Service de Pneumo-phtisiologie, Mali.
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Fadia F. C. KOUNDE
  • Fadia F. C. KOUNDE
  • Hôpital National du Point G (HNPG), Service de Maladies Infectieuses, Service de Pneumo-phtisiologie, Mali.
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Ousmane FAYE
  • Ousmane FAYE
  • Centre National d’Appui à la lutte contre la Maladie (CNAM), Mali.
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Mamadou CISSE
  • Mamadou CISSE
  • Centre de soins, d’animation et de conseil pour les PVVIH (CESAC), Mali.
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Jaquelyn B. McCANDLESS
  • Jaquelyn B. McCANDLESS
  • The Ojai Foundation, California, USA.
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Jack M. ZIMMERMAN
  • Jack M. ZIMMERMAN
  • The Ojai Foundation, California, USA.
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Karim COULIBALY
  • Karim COULIBALY
  • Centre National d’Appui à la lutte contre la Maladie (CNAM), Mali.
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Ayouba DIARRA
  • Ayouba DIARRA
  • Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Appliquée (LBMA), Mali.
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Mamadou S. KEITA
  • Mamadou S. KEITA
  • Centre National d’Appui à la lutte contre la Maladie (CNAM), Mali.
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Souleymane DIALLO
  • Souleymane DIALLO
  • Hôpital National du Point G (HNPG), Service de Maladies Infectieuses, Service de Pneumo-phtisiologie, Mali.
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Ibrahima G. Traore
  • Ibrahima G. Traore
  • Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Appliquée (LBMA), Mali.
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Ousmane KOITA
  • Ousmane KOITA
  • Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Appliquée (LBMA), Mali.Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FAST), Université de Bamako, Mali.
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  •  Accepted: 29 August 2011
  •  Published: 31 October 2011

Abstract

To implement an immuno-regulatory approach for reducing or preventing the onset of AIDS symptoms in HIV+ individuals a single prospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the effect of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) on HIV infected, asymptomatic, otherwise untreated Mali adults with CD4 levels  between 350 and 600 cell/mm3. We measured changes in CD4 count, CD4%, BMI, hemoglobin, viral load, interferon alpha, and standard chemistry panel five times over a nine-month period.  Linear regression mixed models were used with maximum likelihood as the estimation method for repeated measures on subjects. Of 55 subjects followed, 71% completed the full program without indications of clinical AIDS symptoms, side effects or enough loss of CD4 count to warrant initiation of ART medication. The decrease of CD4 count was marginally significant over the full testing period (p=.066) and became significant as the cohort aged (37.73 cells/mm3 with p=0.027 and 52.94 cells/mm3 with p=0.003, respectively, at six and nine months).  In contrast, the estimated mean CD4% did not show significant decrease over the entire study (p=0.842). No other covariates were associated significantly with the results. These findings support the therapeutic potential of LDN in treating HIV+ in its early stages and suggest further studies are indicated.  

 

Key words: HIV, LDN, CD4+, CD4+%, Immuno-regulatory, ART.