Antiretroviral therapy-associated polyneuropathy in patients with HIV infection

This paper reviews the issue of polyneuropathy caused by antiretroviral therapy (ART), which has dramatically changed the outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, significantly increasing the life expectancy of patients, and reducing the frequency of opportunistic infections. Long-term use of ART is associated with many complications, with polyneuropathy occupying a special place and accounting for 20—50% of all ART complications. Polyneuropathy is manifested by symmetrical distal sensory impairments combined with neuropathic pain, which significantly reduces the quality of life of patients and can reduce compliance to treatment. The article presents the key features of differential diagnosis of ART-associated, HIV-associated, and chemotherapy-induced polyneuropathies; their main pathogenetic features are described and the options for prevention and treatment of ART- associated polyneuropathy are analyzed.