Complications graves des traitements antirétroviraux

Highly active antiretroviral therapy regimens led to a dramatic decrease of morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients. However, as HIV infection becomes a chronic disease needing life-long treatment, new complications arise. It is important to know short-, mid- and long-term side effects of antiretroviral drugs. One can schematically distinguish between direct toxic effects of drugs (e.g. hypersensitivity reactions, mitochondrial toxicity, impairment of cell differentiation, abnormalities of glucid and lipid metabolism) from indirect effects of combined antiretroviral regimens (e.g. immune restoration syndromes, lipodystrophy, cardiovascular events). This review deals with potentially severe complications of antiretroviral drugs.