Effectiveness and Safety of Dolutegravir Versus Efavirenz-Based Antiviral Regimen in People Living With HIV-1 in Sichuan Province of China: A Real-World Study

Background: The application time of dolutegravir (DTG) is relatively short, and the treatment experience is insufficient. Therefore, evidence is required to shed more light on the effectiveness and safety issues of DTG in China. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness and safety of a DTG vs. efavirenz (EFV) antiviral regimens (the current mainstream regimen). Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Data of people with HIV (PWH), who started initial DTG-based or EFV-based antiretroviral therapy at the Chengdu Public Health Clinical Medical Center from January 2018 to October 2020, were collected. Effectiveness indicators such as CD4+ T-cell recovery and HIV viral suppression, and safety indicators, including blood routine, liver and kidney function, and occurrence of abnormal blood lipids after DTG vs. EFV-based antiviral regimen treatments, were analyzed. Results: A total of 656 patients were eligible, of which 611 patients were included in the study. Most of the PWHs in our center were young men (86.25%). Nearly one-third of the participants were coinfected with syphilis. The median baseline HIV viral load was 4.70 log10 copies/mL. The median CD4+ T-cell count was 254 cells/mm3. More participants started on EFV-based regimens than DTG-based regimens (82.32% vs. 17.67%). The time to reach the target value (CD4 > 350 cells/mm3) in the DTG group was shorter than that in the EFV group (408 days vs. 522 days), and the percentage of reaching the CD4 target value of the DTG group was higher than that of the EFV group (41.04% vs. 33.76%) in 1 year. The effect of virologic suppression (<50 copies/mL) in the DTG group was superior to that in the EFV group. The use of DTG-containing treatment regimens was significantly related to a quicker virologic suppression (hazard ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval of 1.40–2.21, P < 0.0001). The safety data analysis of laboratory indicators showed that there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the 2 groups. Conclusions: A DTG-based regimen may be more conducive to the CD4 recovery than the EFV-based regimen. The virologic suppression of the DTG group may be superior to that of the EFV group. DTG-based regimens might be the preferred treatment option for people with HIV for initial HIV treatment.