Effect of Antiretroviral Therapy With Tenofovir, Lamivudine And Dolutegravir On Respiratory And Peripheral Muscles Strengh In People Living With Hiv/Aids

Abstract

Background Some antiretrovirals (ARVs) cause muscle toxicity and their use has been attributed to beginning of respiratory and peripheral muscle weakness in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) on treatment. Dolutegravir (DTG) has been adopted by Brazil as a first-line regimen with Tenofovir/Lamivudine (TDF/3TC) since 2017, with low toxicity profile. Due to the short use of this regimen, we have not found data in the literature regarding its effects in the respiratory and peripheral muscles in PLWHA. The aim of this study was to compare respiratory and peripheral muscle strength before and after start of this new combined ART (TDF/3TC/DTG).Methods Descriptive, longitudinal and prospective study, observational and analytical with 41 PLWHA evaluated before the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) (T0) which of these, 28 were reevaluated after more than 50 days of treatment (T1).The assessments of maximum functional capacity (six-minute walk test distance), maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressures and handgrip strength (HGS) were performed using standardized methods. In addition, laboratory data (CD4, CD4/CD8 ratio and viral load-VL) were collected. Shapiro-Wilk test was applied for normality while Fisher's exact test and t-test or Wilcoxon test were used for comparisons of categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Pearson or Spearman correlations were used according to data normality and p-value < 0.05 were considered significant for all analyzes.Results The frequency of peripheral muscle weakness in patients evaluated at T0 was 97.6%, while 31.7% had inspiratory and / or expiratory muscle weakness. HGS was positively correlated with CD4 (p = 0.027) and negatively correlated with VL (p = 0.046). Both MIP (p = 0.0176) and HGS (p = 0.0018) showed improvement in T1.Conclusion ART combined with TDF / 3TC / DTG increased MIP and HGS after more than 50 days of treatment. Cohort studies are needed to better understand the action of these medications on PLWHA musculature under treatment.