Interferon successfully inhibited refractory cytomegalovirus infection and resulted in CD4+ T-cells increase in a patient with AIDS.

We report on a young male HIV-positive patient with cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis who received HAART and ganciclovir but could not gain immune restoration. One and a half years later, his CMV reoccurred. He was treated again with ganciclovir treatment combined with foscarnet treatment but failed. Finally, he was treated with recombinant human interferon alpha-2b (IFN-α2b) alone and acquired sustained inhibition to CMV. His CD4+ T-cell count increased to 186 cell/mm3 and gained partial immune restoration. Retinitis progression has stopped.