Long-term treatment with recombinant nerve growth factor for HIV-associated sensory neuropathy

• Published in: Neurology Vol. 57; no. 7; pp. 1313 - 1316
• Main Authors: SCHIFITTO, G, YIANNOUTSOS, C, KORALNIK, I. J, KATZENSTEIN, D, HAIDICH, B, SMITH, M. E, SHRIVER, S, MILLAR, L, CLIFFORD, D. B, MCARTHUR, J. C, SIMPSON, D. M, ADORNATO, B. T, SINGER, E. J, HOLLANDER, H, MARRA, C. M, RUBIN, M, COHEN, B. A, TUCKER, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 09-10-2001
• Subjects: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - complications; Biological and medical sciences; Humans; Medical sciences; Nerve Growth Factor - administration & dosage; Neuropharmacology; Neuroprotective agent; Pain Measurement; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - drug therapy; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - virology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Recombinant Proteins - administration & dosage; Human; Immunopathology; Nervous system diseases; Prognosis; Retroviridae; Nerve growth factor; AIDS; Neuroprotective agent; Immune deficiency; Lentivirus; Long term; Infection; Virus; Chemotherapy; Randomization; Treatment; Polypeptide; Viral disease; Sensory polyneuropathy; Double blind study; Complication; Peripheral nerve disease; Recombinant protein; Human immunodeficiency virus
• ISSN: 0028-3878; 1526-632X
• DOI: 10.1212/WNL.57.7.1313

HIV-associated distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP) is a common complication of AIDS. No effective treatment is available. The authors investigated the long-term effect (48 weeks) of the neurotrophin nerve growth factor (NGF) in an open-label study of 200 subjects with HIV-associated DSP. Similar to their previously reported double-blind study, the authors showed that NGF was safe and well tolerated and significantly improved pain symptoms. However, there was no improvement of neuropathy severity as assessed by neurologic examination, quantitative sensory testing, and epidermal nerve fiber density.