Multicentric Trial Comparing Three Therapeutical Strategies in Patients With Acute Primary HIV Infection

Primary Outcome Measures:

• Plasma HIV RNA at Week 92 and 96 (mean)
  

Secondary Outcome Measures:

• Plasma HIV RNA kinetics after treatment interruption
  
• CD4 cell count
  
• Proviral DNA
  
• Adherence
  

Treatment of acute primary HIV infection may improve long-term outcome. However, optimal treatment is still debated. The main objective of this multicentric randomized phase II/III study is to compare HIV viremia 92 and 96 weeks after acute primary HIV infection, between patients treated with 3 different strategies. In the first group, patients receive antiretroviral drugs (HAART) continuously up to week 72. In the second group, patients receive HAART continuously up to week 36, then intermittently up to week 72. In the third group, patients receive HAART as in group II, and pegylated interferon alpha is administered for the initial 14 weeks, then for 3 weeks at each of the 3 HAART interruption between week 36 and week 72. All patients are monitored without any HAART up to week 96. Enrolled patients have circulating p24 antigen and/or HIV viremia, an uncompleted HIV western blot, between 18 and 65 years old, and agree to participate to the study. They should have received no antiretroviral drugs, not be pregnant, without neuro-psychological or autoimmune disorders, without chronic hepatitis. Secondary objectives of the study are: the quality of immune restoration, the anti-HIV immune response, safety and adhesion to treatment. A total of 90 patients (30 in each group) have been enrolled.