Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics and Main Results by Virologic Failure
| Characteristic | Current VL ≥400 copies/mL (n = 18) | Current VL <400 copies/mL (n = 30) | Total (n = 48) |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHO stage | |||
| Stage 1 | 6 | 19 | 25 |
| Stage 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Stage 3 | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| Stage 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| CD4 count (cells/μL) median (IQR) | 217.5 (94.75–393.25) | 306.5 (112.2–488.2) | 255.5 (106.8–456.8) |
| Enrolment reason | |||
| RTC | 3 | 22 | 25 |
| VL ≥400 copies/mL | 14 | 6 | 20 |
| RTC &VL ≥400 copies/mL | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Regimen | |||
| TDF/3TC/DTG | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| TDF/FTC/ATV/r | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TDF/FTC/EFV | 16 | 23 | 39 |
| TDF/FTC/LPV/r | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Gender | |||
| Female | 11 | 20 | 31 |
| Male | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| Age (years) | |||
| Median age (IQR) | 39 (34.5–45.25) | 37 (28.5–41) | 37.5 (31.75–42) |
| TNF-exposure | |||
| UTRA—negative | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| TFV-DP in DBS (fmol/punch): median (IQR) | 399 (193–643) | 402 (342–648) | 402 (319–652) |
| Adherence | |||
| Self-reported adherence % of 30 most recent days Median (IQR) |
97 (93—100) | 97 (91–100) | 97 (93–100) |
| Self-reported adherence score 2 Likert scale: Median (IQR) |
4 (4–4) | 4 (4–4.75) | 4 (4–4) |
| Self-reported adherence score 3 Likert scale: Median (IQR) |
5 (4–5) | 5 (5–5) | 5 (4–5) |
| PR adherence (%) | 68.45 (32.51–96.54) | 34.43 (30.60–59.63) | 45.06 (30.60–75.46) |
CD4 counts did not differ significantly between those who had VF versus not (p = .18). Patients were enrolled, who had returned to care (RTC) after having or ≥30 days of being out of care in the previous year, confirmed by PR collection data and/or having had one or more episodes of viremia (≥400 copies/mL), while on their current regimen. Regimens included fixed dose combination therapy of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), emtricitabine (FTC), and efavirenz (EFV) or TDF, lamivudine (3TC), and dolutegravir (DTG) or regimens of lopinavir (LPV) boosted with low-dose ritonavir tables (LPV/r) combined with fixed-dose TDF and FTC or atazanavir boosted with low-dose ritonavir tablets (ATV/r) combined with fixed-dose TDF and FTC.
DBS, dried blood spots; DP, diphosphate; IQR, interquartile range; PR, pharmacy refill; TFV-DP, tenofovir diphosphate; UTRA, urine tenofovir rapid assay; VL, viral load; WHO, World Health Organization.