Impact of tenofovir on SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe outcomes among people living with HIV: a propensity score-matched study

Background: Reports on the impact of some antiretrovirals against SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease severity are conflicting.

Objectives: We evaluated the effect of tenofovir as either tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine (TAF/FTC) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) against SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated clinical outcomes among people living with HIV (PLWH).

Methods: We conducted a propensity score-matched analysis in the prospective PISCIS cohort of PLWH (n = 14 978) in Catalonia, Spain. We used adjusted Cox regression models to assess the association between tenofovir and SARS-CoV-2 outcomes.

Results: After propensity score-matching, SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis rates were similar in TAF/FTC versus ABC/3TC recipients (11.6% versus 12.5%, P = 0.256); lower among TDF/FTC versus ABC/3TC recipients (9.6% versus 12.8%, P = 0.021); and lower among TDF/FTC versus TAF/FTC recipients (9.6% versus 12.1%, P = 0.012). In well-adjusted logistic regression models, TAF/FTC was no longer associated with reduced SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.90; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.78-1.04] or hospitalization (aOR 0.93; 95% CI, 0.60-1.43). When compared with ABC/3TC, TDF/FTC was not associated with reduced SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis (aOR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.60-1.04) or hospitalization (aOR 0.51; 95% CI, 0.15-1.70). TDF/FTC was not associated with reduced SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis (aOR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.60-1.04) or associated hospitalization (aOR 0.33; 95% CI, 0.10-1.07) compared with TAF/FTC.

Conclusions: TAF/FTC or TDF/FTC were not associated with reduced SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis rates or associated hospitalizations among PLWH. TDF/FTC users had baseline characteristics intrinsically associated with more benign SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes. Tenofovir exposure should not modify any preventive or therapeutic SARS-CoV-2 infection management.