Table 1.
Laboratory examinations and treatment of corticosteroids and antiretroviral therapy (ART) during each visit
| Time points | 1 (January 8-19th, 2022) |
2 (February 2th-March 1st, 2022) |
3 (June 23th-July 1st, 2022) |
4 (August 20th, 2022) |
5 (December 12-30th, 2022) |
Reference intervals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSF HIV-RNA (copies/ml) | 774 | 31.1 | 4580 | undetectable | (-) | Lower detection limit: 20 |
| Plasma HIV-RNA (copies/ml) | < 20 | < 20 | 340 | undetectable | (-) | Lower detection limit: 20 |
| Resistance mutations in CSF RNA | (-) | (-) | Major PI-related mutations (V82F), NNRTI-related mutations (V106I and V179D), NRTI-related mutations (A62V, K65R, and M184V) | (-) | (-) | |
| Resistance mutations in plasma RNA | (-) | (-) | the same as that in CSF RNA | (-) | (-) | |
| CSF cell count (/L) | 47 × 106 | 18 × 106 | 22 × 106 | 12 × 106 | (-) | (0–8) × 106 |
| CSF protein (mg/L) | 1250 | 903 | 1329 | 685 | (-) | 120–600 |
| Lumbar puncture pressure (mmH2O) | 260 | 200 | 162 | 360 | (-) | 80–180 |
| CD4 + T cell count (cells/μL) | 366 | 571 | 294 | (-) | 457 | 410–1590 |
| CD8 + T cell count (cells/μL) | 1565 | 1416 | 1184 | (-) | 1281 | 190–1140 |
| Corticosteroid therapy |
Prednisone orally (60 mg daily) |
Tapering prednisone (60 mg daily followed by a reduction of 5 mg per week), withdrawal in May 2022 |
Prednisone orally (60 mg daily) |
Tapering prednisone | Withdrawal | |
| ART regimen | TDF + 3TC + LPV/r | TDF + 3TC + LPV/r | TDF + 3TC + LPV/r | AZT + 3TC + DTG (modified in July 2022) | AZT + 3TC + DTG |
CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; PI, protease inhibitor; NNRTI, nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor; NRTI, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor; TDF, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate;3TC, lamivudine; LPV/r, lopinavir/ritonavir; AZT, zidovudine; DTG, dolutegravir