[Antiretroviral treatment. Present and future of the combinations].

The antiretroviral drugs used in the treatment of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus, type 1, (HIV-1) are reviewed. In Spain zidovudine (AZT), didanosine (ddl) and zacitabine (ddC) are currently available. Recent multicentric trials have shown: 1. That combinations of antiviral drugs are better than monotherapy, 2. That asymptomatic patients may benefit from antiretroviral treatment and 3. That the immunological and virological responses are predictors of the clinical course. It is currently recommended that in patients with a level of less than 350 CD4+ lymphocytes per mm3, treatment should be begun by using a combination of AZT+ddl, or of AZT+ddC. In patients with better immunological status, monotherapy with AZT or ddl has been shown to be useful. Finally the antiretroviral drugs not yet commercially available in Spain are reviewed. By the end of 1996 d4T, 3TC and protease inhibitors will be available and treatment strategies will dramatically change.