Switching From Efavirenz to Raltegravir Reduces the Fatty Liver in Patients with HIV and co-infections

Spanish researchers published the report on reductions in fally liver in patients with HIV while switching to raltegravir from efavirenz in the Clinical Infectious Diseases online edition. About 40 patients with the hepatic steatosis took part in the study and were observed for 11 month. Everyone has their viral load suppressed. The participants were divided into two groups, and the participants of one of the groups had changed efavirenz to raltegravir.

That’s how the researchers comment the liver improvements: “After 48 weeks, HIV-infected individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease switched from an efavirenz- to a raltegravir-based combination showed a decrease in the degree of hepatic steatosis, compared to patients with an efavirenz-based regimen,” write the authors. “In addition, the proportion of patients showing regression in significant hepatic steatosis after 48 weeks was greater in those who switched from efavirenz to raltegravir. Replacement of efavirenz by raltegravir. among patients with significant hepatic steatosis led to reductions in the grade of hepatic steatosis, even reversal of fatty liver in some cases,” they conclude. “These results need confirmation in a larger study.”