Investigation into the hepatotoxic effects of Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) medications

Abstract

The development of the Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has greatly reduced the morbidity and mortality associated with HIV patients turning HIV infection into a chronic disease rather than a fatal one, through developing AIDS. The necessity for safe, efficacious, anti-retroviral agents is clear, however, long-term HAART has been linked to a wide range of complications including hepatotoxicity. Atripla and Eviplera, are one-pill-daily HAART regimens, containing the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, efavirenz (1st generation) or rilpivirine (2nd generation) in combination with the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors emtricitabine, and tenofovir. Though these drug combinations are proposed to be safer than the older reverse transcriptase inhibitors the effects of these drugs on hepatocytes has yet to be fully elucidated. The overall objective of this thesis was to examine the effects of the components of Atripla and Eviplera on hepatocytes.

Date of Award	2014
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton