Authors : Lyudmila G. Nikolaeva , Tatyana V. Maystat , Volodymyr S. Pylypchuk , Yuri L. Volyanskii and Galyna A. Kutsyna
Abstract: The phase II, randomized, clinical trial was conducted in 40 HIV infected patients to evaluate the effect of oral immunomodulator Dzherelo on immune and viral parameters. The arm A (n = 20), received standard Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) consisting of zidovudine, lamivudine and efavirenz (AZT/3TC/EFV) and arm B (n = 20) received 50 drops of Dzherelo twice per day in addition to ART. After 2 months the total CD3 T-lymphocytes increased in ART recipients from 664 to 819 cells �L 1 (p = 0.06), whereas in Dzherelo recipients they rose from 595 to 785 cells �L 1 (p = 0.03). The population of CD4 T-cells expanded by 57.3% in ART (218-343; p = 0.002) and by 93.5% in Dzherelo arms (184-356; p = 0.004). The accrual in absolute and relative number of CD8+ lymphocytes in ART and Dzherelo recipients was 43.2% (2.7%) and 50.4% (-0.5%) , respectively. The CD4/CD8 ratio in Dzherelo recipients had increased from 1.495 to 1.940 (p = 0.03) but in the control group the increase was not significant, i.e., 1.418-1.613 (p = 0.14). About three-quarters (14/19) of patients on ART displayed the decrease in viral load (1718-1419 copies mL 1; p = 0.008), while 95% of patients on Dzherelo had a reduction in the number of viral copies (1793-1368 copies; p = 0.001). Dzherelo has a favorable effect on T-lymphocyte subsets and viral burden in HIV patients when given as an immunomodulating adjunct to ART.
Lyudmila G. Nikolaeva , Tatyana V. Maystat , Volodymyr S. Pylypchuk , Yuri L. Volyanskii and Galyna A. Kutsyna , 2008. Effect of Immunomodulator Dzherelo on CD4 + T-Lymphocyte Counts and Viral Load in HIV Infected Patients Receiving Anti-Retroviral Therapy. Research Journal of Pharmacology, 2: 8-12.