Improvement of distal symmetrical polyneuropathy in patient with AIDS after switch from protease inhibitor containing antiretroviral treatment to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, emtricitabine and rilpivirine (EVIPLERA (R)) therapy - Case report

In this paper we present a 29-year-old male patient with AIDS stage C3 according to CDC (esophageal candidiasis). He received combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) with lopinavir/ritonavir and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine. Almost 2 log reduction of viral load was observed after 1 month of cART, but the patient developed distal symmetrical polyneuropathy. Therapy was switched to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine/rilpivirine (EVIPLERA). During this therapy HIV-RNA became undetectable, CD4 T cell count increased and distal symmetrical polyneuropathy symptoms improved and then disappeared completely. Therapy was well tolerated and no laboratory abnormalities were observed. (C) 2015 Polish AIDS Research Society. Published by Elsevier Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.