Phenylthiocarbamide Taste Perception among HIV- Infected Patients on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

Aim: To determine whether phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) taste perception in HIV infection was influenced by highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Methodology: Study participants were adults (≥16 years) comprising 85 HIV-infected patients on HAART; 83 of whom were on first line of treatment (41 on Lamivudine, Nevirapine and Zidovudine and 42 on Tenofovir, Lamivudine and Efavirenz) and 2 on second line of treatment, 20 asymptomatic HIV-infected persons (and not on any medication) and 100 apparently healthy controls without HIV infection. They were enrolled in this study after clinical examination and informed consent was obtained from each participant. Antibodies to HIV were determined using determine HIV 1/HIV 2 test kit and Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and then confirmed with Western blot (WB) and Real time PCR. Tasters and non-tasters were determined using phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) taste strips (0.0143 mg/strip).

Results: Non-tasters of PTC in the HIV-infected group on HAART (60.0%) were higher than those in the control group (33.0%) (p < 0.001). Non-tasters of PTC among the HIV-infected patients on Tenofovir, Lamivudine and Efavirenz (73.8%) were higher than: (i) Non-tasters of PTC among the HIV-infected patients on Lamivudine, Nevirapine and Zidovudine (46.3%) (p = 0.01) (ii) Non-tasters in the control group (33.0%) (p < 0.001) and (iii) Non-tasters in the asymptomatic HIV-infected group (35.0%) (p = 0.003). Non-tasters of PTC among the HIV-infected patients on Lamivudine, Nevirapine and Zidovudine were not significantly different from non-tasters in the control group (p = 0.13) or those in the asymptomatic HIV-infected group (p = 0.40).

Conclusion: This study showed that bitter taste loss of PTC was significantly associated with HIV-infected patients on Tenofovir, Lamivudine and Efavirenz. Therefore, the choice of HAART for HIV infection can influence PTC taste perception.