TreatmentUpdate 72, Vol. 8, No. 8; October 1996
Sean Hosein

Doctors in the US recruited 231 HIV-infected subjects, half of whom had 40 CD4+ cells, to test the ability of fluconazole to prevent the life-threatening brain infection crypto. Although none of the subjects had crypto in the past, 60% had experienced other life-threatening infections before entering this study. Subjects were supposed to take fluconazole 200 mg, three times daily, each week. Half the subjects were monitored for one year.

Results

During this time only 1 person developed crypto and 20% had yeast infections appear in the mouth or throat. The researchers interviewed subjects and found that the yeast infections were more likely to occur in subjects who did not take fluconazole as instructed. Among those subjects who did take fluconazole according to schedule, those that developed yeast infections had a "low" CD4+ cell count (the researchers did not release a figure). Only about 3% of subjects reported side effects -- "nausea [and] skin rash."

REFERENCES:

1. Singh N, Barnish MJ, Berman S, et al . Low dose fluconazole for primary prophylaxis of cryptococcal infection confined to AIDS patients with less than 101 CD4+ cells: demonstration of efficacy in a prospective, multicentre trial. Abstract I173.

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