Abstract
Valproic acid (VPA) reduces latent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reservoirs by activating resting CD4+ cells. This retrospective case-control study (n = 30) examined effects of VPA on markers of HIV progression. VPA was not associated with changes in cerebrospinal fluid viral loads (VL), plasma VL, or neuropsychological performance. VPA patients had a trend towards lower CD4+ cells (P = .08) at follow-up. Concurrent antiretrovirals did not alter these relationships. VPA does not induce viremia or promote disease progression and may be safe for clinical intervention.
The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, nor the United States Government. This work was supported by University of California Universitywide AIDS Research Program Fellowship (CF05-SD-301; B.A.) and amFAR Fellowship (106729-40-RFRL; B.A.). The HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC) is supported by Center award MH 62512 from the National Institute of Mental Health (HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center, S.L., T.M., I.G., R.E).
This work was presented at the American Academy of Neurology 58th Annual Meeting.