ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY FOR INFECTION DUE TO HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS IN CHILDREN

Infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in children presents problems that greatly differ from those seen in adults. The great majority of children are infected either during gestation or at the time of birth. As Drs. Pizzo and Wilfert note in their AIDS Commen tary, this results in rapid development of immunosuppression and clini cal manifestations in patients whose immune systems are in the process of maturing. Thus, a thorough understanding of the pharmacokinetics o f antiretroviral agents in infants and small children is required. Thi s AIDS Commentary provides a comprehensive review of the current state of our knowledge and possible future directions for the management of HIV-1 infection in this young population.