Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in patients starting antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Summary This systematic review examines the incidence of Immune Reconstitution Disease (IRD) in HIV-1 infected patients starting antiretroviral combination therapy (ART). We analysed 13103 patients from 54 cohort studies; 1685 patients developed IRD. Pooled incidences with 95% credibility intervals (CrI) were calculated using Bayesian methods. In patients with previously diagnosed AIDS-defining conditions the incidence was 37.7% (95% CrI 26.6–49.4%) for CMV retinitis, 19.5% (6.7–44.8%) for cryptococcal meningitis, 15.7% (9.7–24.5%) for tuberculosis, 16.7% (2.3–50.7%) for progressive multifocal leukencephalopathy and 6.4% (1.2–24.7%) for Kaposi’s sarcoma. The incidence of any type of IRD, based on studies of unselected patients starting ART, was 16.1% (11.1–22.9%). Lethality was 4.5% (2.1–8.6%) for any type of IRD, 3.2% (0.7–9.2%) for tuberculosis and 20.8% (5.0–52.7%) for cryptococcal meningitis. Meta-regression analyses showed that the incidence is largely determined by the CD4 cell count at the start of ART, with a high risk in patients starting below 50 cells/μl. Many of the IRD events might therefore be prevented with earlier initiation of ART.