Document Classification

Section Type: METHODS

Text: Randomisation was to either clinically driven monitoring or routine laboratory and clinical monitoring for toxicity (haematology and biochemistry) and efficacy (CD4 cell counts ; non-inferiority monitoring randomisation) ; and simultaneously to standard three-drug or to four-drug induction first-line ART, in three groups : three-drug treatment (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor [NNRTI], lamivudine, abacavir ; group A) versus four-drug induction (NNRTI, lamivudine, abacavir, zidovudine ; groups B and C), decreasing after week 36 to three-drug NNRTI, lamivudine, plus abacavir (group B) or lamivudine, abacavir, plus zidovudine (group C ; superiority ART-strategy randomisation).