Effect of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy on Thrombocytopenia in Patients with HIV Infection

Abstract

Thrombocytopenia is a common hematologic disorder in persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).¹ Although often asymptomatic, the thrombocytopenia in these patients may be associated with a variety of bleeding abnormalities. Corticosteroids, intravenous immune globulin, and interferon can improve HIV-associated thrombocytopenia, although the responses are not sustained after the cessation of treatment.¹ Several studies have shown increases in platelet counts in HIV-infected patients with thrombocytopenia who were treated with zidovudine,^1,2 but these responses were not sustained. Maness et al. reported a similar effect of indinavir,³ but their report did not include data on the viral load.