Tuesday November 1, 2005
Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is relatively a newly discovered phenomenon encountered by those intensivists who take care of HIV patients. Some individuals who initiate "HAART" (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy) regimen develop new or paradoxical worsening of opprtunistic infections or malignancies despite improvements in surrogate markers of HIV infection. Reportedly it develops in patients with profound immunosuppression (usually below CD4 count of 100). Classic example is a study which showed that 30% of HIV patients coinfected with Cryptococcus neoformans who initiated HAARTdeveloped IRIS with higher cerebrospinal fluid opening pressures, glucose levels, and white blood cell counts.

Refrences: click on link to get article/abstract
1. The role of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in AIDS-related Cryptococcus neoformans disease in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy. - Clin Infect Dis. 2005 Apr 1;40(7):1049-52.
2. Recent IRIS related articles/literature - hivandhepatitis.com
3.Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome Associated With Kaposi's Sarcoma - Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 23, No 22 (August 1), 2005: pp. 5224-5228
4. Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome Associated With HIV and Leprosy - Arch Dermatol. 2004;140:997-1000.