Table 1

Characteristics and disposition of the study patients (intent-to-treat population)

Characteristic
Abacavir-switch arm (N = 52)
PI-continuation arm (N = 52)
Total study population (N = 104)

Age, y



     Median (range)
43 (23–64)
42 (25–62)
42 (23–64)
Sex, No. (%)



     Male
46 (88)
47 (90)
93 (89)
     Female
6 (12)
5 (10)
11 (11)
Race, No. (%)



     Caucasian
26 (50)
28 (54)
54 (52)
     African American
16 (31)
11 (21)
27 (26)
     Hispanic
10 (19)
13 (25)
23 (22)
Mean HIV-1 RNA, log10 copies/mL (SD)
1.73 (0.16)
1.69 (0.04)
1.71 (0.06)
Mean CD4+ cell count, cells/mm3 (SD)
551 (226)
531 (233)
541 (229)
Mean weight, kg (SD)
79.3 (16.8)
80.4 (16.6)
79.8 (16.7)
Mean BMI, kg/cm2 (SD)
25.9 (4.5)
26.4 (4.9)
26.1 (4.7)
Mean waist-to-hip ratio
0.94 (0.06)
0.93 (0.07)
0.94 (0.06)
CDC Class, n (%)



     Category A
33 (63)
34 (65)
67 (64)
     Category B
10 (19)
11 (21)
21 (20)
     Category C
9 (17)
7 (13)
16 (15)
Mean (SD) total cholesterol, mg/dL
244 (45)
241 (44)

Mean (SD) LDL cholesterol, mg/dL
149 (34)
149 (30)

Mean (SD) HDL cholesterol, mg/dL
39 (15)
42 (14)

Mean (SD) triglycerides, mg/dL
340 (213)
280 (282)

Coronary artery disease risk factors, n (%)*
34 (65)
26 (50)
60 (58)
     Age
18 (35)
12 (23)
30 (29)
     Family history
4 (8)
4 (8)
8 (8)
     Cigarette smoking
19 (37)
13 (25)
32 (31)
     Hypertension
5 (10)
8 (15)
13 (13)
     Low HDL
10 (19)
4 (8)
14 (13)
     Diabetes mellitus
3 (6)
0
3 (3)
Antiretroviral medications taken prior to screening, n (%)



     Any
28 (56)
20 (44)
48 (46)
     NRTIs



          Zidovudine
16 (32)
9 (20)
25 (24)
          Lamivudine
12 (24)
8 (18)
20 (19)
          Stavudine
5 (10)
2 (4)
7 (7)
          Didanosine
7 (14)
0
7 (7)
          Zalcitabine
3 (6)
0
3 (3)
     NNRTIs



          Efavirenz
1 (2)
0

     PIs



          Indinavir
11 (22)
8 (18)
19 (18)
          Nelfinavir
4 (8)
2 (4)
6 (6)
          Ritonavir
2 (4)
1 (2)
3 (3)
          Saquinavir
2 (4)
0
2 (2)
PI used at screening



     Nelfinavir
22 (42)
21 (40)
43 (41)
     Indinavir
21 (40)
22 (42)
43 (41)
     Saquinavir SGC
6 (12)
6 (12)
12 (12)
     Amprenavir
2 (4)
2 (4)
4 (4)
     Ritonavir
1 (2)
1 (2)
2 (2)
Premature withdrawal from study, n (%)
14 (27)
11 (21)
25 (24)
     Adverse event
7 (13)
1 (2)
8 (8)
     Consent withdrawn
0
9 (17)
9 (9)
     Lost to follow-up
1 (2)
1 (2)
2 (2)
     Protocol violation
2 (4)
0
2 (2)
     Protocol-defined virologic failure
3 (6)
0
3 (3)
     Other
1 (2)
0
1 (1)

*Cumulative coronary artery disease risk factors in the abacavir-switch arm: 0 factors = 18; 1 factor = 16; 2 factors = 12; 3 factors = 5; 4 factors = 1. Cumulative coronary artery risk factors in the PI-continuation arm: 0 factors = 26; 1 factor = 12; 2 factors = 13; and 3 factors = 1.

Abbreviations: AIDS = acquired immune deficiency syndrome; ART = antiretroviral therapy; CDC = Centers for Disease Control; HDL = high density lipoprotein; HIV-1 = human immunodeficiency virus type 1; LDL = low density lipoprotein; LSM = least squares mean; SD = standard deviation; SGC = soft gel capsule.

Keiser et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2005 5:2   doi:10.1186/1471-2334-5-2