Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30352627›Full record

Trial reportBMC pharmacology & toxicology2018

Variability of efavirenz plasma concentrations among pediatric HIV patients treated with efavirenz based combination antiretroviral therapy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Selemani Saidi Sungi, Eliford Ngaimisi, Nzovu Ulenga, Philip Sasi, Sabina Mugusi

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC pharmacology & toxicology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 49% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Antiretroviral Therapy in Children and Adolescents: A Look Into Modern Single Tablet Regimens.The journal of pediatric pharmacology and therapeutics : JPPT : the official journal of PPAG · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Selemani Saidi SungiHealth Department, Chamwino District Council, Chamwino, Dodoma, Tanzania.
Eliford NgaimisiUnit of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Nzovu UlengaManagement Development for Health (MDH), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Philip SasiDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Sabina MugusiDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. sabina.mugusi@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0003-3367-0564
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences · TZManagement and Development for Health · TZMinistry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children · TZ

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChildren are subject to varying drug pharmacokinetics which influence plasma drug levels, and hence treatment outcomes especially for drugs like efavirenz whose plasma concentrations are directly related to treatment outcomes. This study is aimed at determining plasma efavirenz concentrations among Tanzanian pediatric HIV-1 patients on efavirenz-based combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and relating it to clinical, immunological and virologic treatment responses.

methodsA cross sectional study involving pediatric HIV patients aged 5-15 years on efavirenz-based cART for ≥ 6 months were recruited in Dar es Salaam. Data on demographics, cART regimens, efavirenz dose and time of the last dose were collected using structured questionnaires and checklists. Venous blood samples were drawn at 10-19 h post-dosing for efavirenz plasma analysis.

resultsA total of 145 children with a mean ± SD age of 10.83 ± 2.75 years, on cART for a mean ± SD of 3.7 ± 2.56 years were recruited. Median [IQR] efavirenz concentration was 2.56 [IQR = 1.5-4.6] μg/mL with wide inter-patient variability (CV 111%). Poor virologic response was observed in 70.8%, 20.8% and 15.9% of patients with efavirenz levels < 1 μg/mL, 1-4 μg/mL and > 4 μg/mL respectively. Patients with efavirenz levels of < 1 μg/mL were 11 times more likely to have detectable viral loads. Immunologically, 31.8% of children who had low levels (< 1 μg/mL) of efavirenz had a CD4 count of < 350 cells/μL.

conclusionWide inter-individual variability in efavirenz plasma concentrations is seen among Tanzanian children in routine clinical practice with many being outside the recommended therapeutic range. Virologic failure is very high in children with sub-therapeutic levels. Concentrations outside the therapeutic window suggest the need for dose adjustment on the basis of therapeutic drug monitoring to optimize treatment.

Indexed as

AdolescentAlkynesAnti-HIV AgentsAntiretroviral Therapy, Highly ActiveBenzoxazinesBiological Variation, PopulationChildChild, PreschoolCyclopropanesDrug MonitoringFemaleHIV InfectionsHumansLamivudineMaleTanzaniaAlkynesAnti-HIV AgentsBenzoxazinesCyclopropanesefavirenzLamivudineZidovudinecARTEfavirenzTanzaniaVariability

Identifiers

PMID30352627
PMCPMC6199790
OpenAlexW2897950143

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.