Which statement best describes drug interaction considerations with HIV protease inhibitors?

• A. Significant interactions via CYP450.
• B. No interactions.
• C. Interacts only with antibiotics.
• D. Increases water retention.

Answer: (A)

Protease inhibitors are heavily processed by the liver’s cytochrome P450 system, especially CYP3A4. They can inhibit or induce these enzymes, which changes the metabolism of many other drugs. That means coadministered medications can become too high and cause toxicity, or too low and lose their effectiveness. This broad potential for drug–drug interactions is why the statement about significant interactions via CYP450 is the best description. The other options miss the scope (interactions aren’t limited to antibiotics, there are indeed interactions, and they aren’t about fluid retention).