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Serious Bradyarrhythmia That Was Possibly Induced by Lopinavir-Ritonavir in 2
Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
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Clinical Infectious Diseases 2002;35:488-490
Yoshimi Kikuchi, Ikumi Genka, Azumi Ishizaki, Keishin Sunagawa, Akira
Yasuoka, and Shinichi Oka
AIDS Clinical Center, International Medical Center of Japan, Tokyo
We describe 2 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome who had
potentially
fatal bradyarrhythmia that occurred shortly after commencement of
antiretroviral
therapy. Lopinavir-ritonavir was the only drug that both patients were using.
Lopinavir-ritonavir is an effective option for the treatment of HIV type 1
(HIV-1)infected individuals. However, we experienced 2 cases of serious
bradyarrhythmia that were possibly induced by lopinavir-ritonavir.
Lopinavir-ritonavir is an effective option for the treatment of HIV type 1
(HIV-1)infected individuals. However, we experienced 2 cases of serious
bradyarrhythmia that were possibly induced by lopinavir-ritonavir.
Case report. A 22-year-old patient with hemophilia and HIV-1 infection
was admitted to our hospital (International Medical Center of Japan, Tokyo)
for salvage therapy for HIV-1 infection on 23 March 2001. The patient was
also known to be infected with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus (HCV).
He was treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and coagulation factor
VIII was administered as needed. At admission, the patient's CD4 cell count
was 9 cells/L and his HIV-1 load was 170,000 copies/mL. Since 1994, the
patient had been treated aggressively with various antiretroviral drugs,
including zidovudine, didanosine, stavudine, zalcitabine, saquinavir,
nelfinavir, abacavir, efavirenz, and amprenavir.
On 27 March, the patient began receiving 3 MIU of IFN-a 3 times per week, and
the dosage was subsequently increased to 6 mIU 3 times per week. Ribavirin
(400 mg b.i.d.) was added during the second week of IFN-a therapy. The
patient's clinical status improved in the subsequent 4 weeks. The patient
began receiving treatment with lopinavir-ritonavir (400 mg/100 mg b.i.d.) and
didanosine (400 mg q.d.) on 20 April. However, the patient complained of
nausea and general malaise after receiving the first dose of
lopinavir-ritonavir, and he felt chest discomfort 2 h after receiving the
fourth dose of lopinavir-ritonavir (on day 2 of treatment). An
electrocardiogram showed complete atrioventricular block. The serum
electrolyte and creatine kinase levels were
normal. All medications were discontinued except for
trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Complete atrioventricular block improved after
the patient received an injection of atropine sulphate and a B-stimulant. The
response to a challenge with lopinavir-ritonavir and didanosine was examined
50 days after the aforementioned episode of atrioventricular block. At that
time, the patient was receiving only trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and the
B-stimulant. Chest pain and palpitation occurred 10 h after the patient
received the fifth dose of lopinavir-ritonavir. Electrocardiography performed
at that time revealed Mobitz type I, second-degree atrioventricular block.
The second patient was a 60-year-old man with hemophilia and HIV-1 infection
who was referred to our hospital for salvage therapy for HIV-1 infection on
11 September 2001. At admission, HCV infection, diabetes mellitus, duodenal
ulcer, and idiopathic thrombocytopenia were diagnosed. At that time, the CD4
count was 36 cells/L and the HIV-1 load was 3300 copies/mL. The
patient had been treated aggressively with zidovudine, didanosine, stavudine,
indinavir, and abacavir since 1995. After admission to the hospital, he was
treated with sodium rabeprazole (a proton pump inhibitor), carbazochrome
sodium sulfonate and tranexamic acid
(for idiopathic thrombocytopenia), insulin replacement, and coagulation
factor VIII, as required, in addition to zidovudine and abacavir.
On 12 September, antiretroviral therapy was switched to abacavir (300 mg
b.i.d.), efavirenz (600 mg q.d.), and lopinavir-ritonavir (500 mg b.i.d.).
The next morning, the patient was not able to take lopinavir-ritonavir
because of dizziness induced by efavirenz that he had taken the preceding
night. Subsequently, the patient felt sick, and bradycardia was documented 15
h
after the patient received the most recent dose of lopinavir-ritonavir. An
electrocardiogram showed sinus arrest with junctional escape rhythm. Serum
electrolyte and creatine kinase levels were normal, and there were no signs
of ischemic heart disease at this time. Consequently, all antiretroviral
therapy was discontinued. Despite the administration of atropine sulphate and
B-stimulant, arrhythmia persisted for 20 h after the discontinuation of
antiretroviral therapy.
Discussion. Both patients had no history of cardiac disease (including
congenital abnormality), electrocardiograms obtained at admission showed
normal sinus rhythm, and there was no family history of arrhythmia or sudden
death. Direct infection of myocardial cells by HIV-1 [1] and cardiac muscle
toxicity caused by reverse-transcriptase inhibitors [2] have been
reported elsewhere. The common clinical features of the 2 cases were
advanced-stage HIV-1 infection, HCV infection, and a long history of
receiving antiretroviral therapy, especially with reverse-transcriptase
inhibitors. How these clinical features were involved in the adverse events
is unknown at present. Lopinavir-ritonavir is widely used in salvage therapy
for HIV-1 infection [3] because of its strong antiretroviral activity and
favorable pharmacokinetic properties [4]. In the first patient, we initially
thought that the arrhythmia was caused by IFN-, but the cause was determined
to be either lopinavir-ritonavir or didanosine by a challenge test that
involved the latter drugs. For the second patient, a challenge test was not
performed. However, sinus arrest was documented shortly after the patient
received combination therapy with lopinavir-ritonavir, abacavir, and
efavirenz. The only common drug for the 2
patients was lopinavir-ritonavir.
Although the type of arrhythmia noted was different between these patients,
to our knowledge, this is the first report of potentially fatal
bradyarrhythmia that was possibly related to use of lopinavir-ritonavir. One
can speculate that lopinavir-ritonavir had a toxic
effect on cells in the sinus and/or atrioventricular node. The mechanism for
this adverse event has yet to be elucidated in detail. As of July 2002,
lopinavir-ritonavir has been prescribed to 80 patients at our ambulatory
clinic. We noted the bradyarrhythmia in these 2 patients because they were
hospitalized at the commencement of therapy. Special attention should be
directed toward signs of arrhythmia that appear shortly after patients start
receiving therapy that contains lopinavir-ritonavir.
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