A prospective study of discontinuing primary and secondary Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia prophylaxis after CD4 cell count increase to > 200 X 10(6)/I

Objective: To assess the incidence of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) after discontinuation of either primary or secondary prophylaxis. Design: This was a prospective, non-randomized, non-blinded study. Setting: Twenty-five University-based AIDS Clinical Trials Group units. Participants: Participants either had a CD4 cell count less than or equal t o 100 x 10(6)/l at any time in the past and no history of confirmed PCP (gr oup I; n = 144), or had a confirmed episode of PCP greater than or equal to 6 months prior to study entry (group II; n = 129). All subjects had sustai ned CD4 cell counts > 200 x 10(6)/l in response to antiretroviral therapy. Interventions: Subjects discontinued PCP prophylaxis within 3 months or at the time of study entry. Evaluations for symptoms of PCP and CD4 cell count s were performed every 8 weeks. Prophylaxis was resumed if two consecutive CD4 cell counts were < 200 x 10(6)/l. Main outcome measure(s): The main outcome was development of PCP. Results: No cases of PCP occurred in 144 subjects (median follow-up, 82 wee ks) in group I or in the 129 subjects (median follow-up, 63 weeks) in group II (95% upper confidence limits on the rates of 1.3 per 100 person-years a nd 1.96 per 100 person-years for groups I and II, respectively). Eight subj ects (five in group I and three in group II) resumed PCP prophylaxis after two consecutive CD4 cell counts < 200 x 10(6)/l. Conclusions: The risk of developing initial or recurrent PCP after disconti nuing prophylaxis is low in HIV-infected individuals who have sustained CD4 cell count increases in response to antiretroviral therapy. Neither lifelo ng primary nor secondary PCP prophylaxis is necessary. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.