Treatment Guidelines and Prognosis of Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome Patients: A Review

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is an “unmasking” or paradoxical worsening of a pre-existing infection after commencement of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - infected patients. The use of HAART in the management of HIV patients restores immune responses against pathogens however in few patients, the reconstituted immune system leads to IRIS. As the treatment protocols are not standardized for IRIS, this leads to short-term morbidity or in some cases also mortality. Therefore, treatment in these patients is a huge challenge and further more research regarding the immunopathogenesis, diagnosis and management of IRIS should be well thought-out. To understand the immunopathogenesis of IRIS it will be difficult to elucidate the intrinsic dynamics of immune cells after initiation of HAART but, there are few biomarkers which help to predict or diagnose IRIS and develop specific treatment, following initiation of HIV therapy. This review is an attempt to put light on those patients with IRIS with treatment guidelines for the management of the progression of it.