VITAMIN-A SUPPLEMENTATION AND HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS LOAD IN INJECTION-DRUG USERS

The use of vitamin A therapy during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is under clinical investigation, and vitamin A could potent ially modulate HIV replication because the virus genome contains a ret inoic acid response element. A randomized, double-masked, placebo-cont rolled clinical trial was conducted to determine the impact of single high-dose vitamin A supplementation, 60-mg retinol equivalent (200,000 IU), on HIV load and CD4 lymphocyte count. HIV-infected injection dru g users (120) were randomly allocated to receive vitamin A or placebo. Plasma vitamin A level, CD4 lymphocyte count, and HIV load were measu red at baseline and 2 and 4 weeks after treatment. Vitamin A supplemen tation had no significant impact on HIV load or CD4 lymphocyte count a t 2 and 4 weeks after treatment. This study suggests that high-dose vi tamin A supplementation does not influence HIV load.