Medication Is Linked to Liver Toxicities in Pregnant Women

HIV-positive pregnant women with CD4-cell counts above 250 are at an increased risk of severe Viramune-related liver toxicities, according to a study in the July 1 edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. Seventeen treatment-naive HIV-positive women'all in their 10th to 30th week of pregnancy'were given Viramune-based therapy. One woman developed Viramune-related Stevens-Johnson syndrome, two others experienced an increase in liver enzyme levels and hepatitis-like symptoms, a fourth woman experienced only elevated liver enzymes, and one experienced liver failure and died. All of the adverse events occurred in woman with CD4-cell counts above 250, according to the study. 'We observed greater than expected toxicity associated with nevirapine,' say the researchers, who note they ended the study early due to the toxicity problems. The risk is associated only with regular Viramune-based therapy and not single doses of the drug used to prevent mother-to-child transmissions, the researchers say.