title: Initial low CD4 lymphocyte counts in recent human immunodeficiency virus infection and lack of association with identified coinfections.
abstract: Initial CD4 lymphocyte counts were studied in 244 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroconversion. The CD4 cell counts at initial presentation after seroconversion were normally distributed (mean, 579/mm3; SD, 252). The mean percentage of CD4 cells was 26.1% (SD, 5.6). CD4 cell counts were < 500/mm3 in 41% and < 200/mm3 in 4%. The mean calculated duration of HIV infection was 7.7 months, which was not significantly different between the highest and lowest CD4 count quartiles (8.1 vs. 7.9). Age, sex, race, and serologic evidence of toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis B, syphilis, and varicella-zoster virus were not associated with initial low CD4 cell counts; however, never-married men were significantly overrepresented in the lowest quartile. These findings suggest that extensive CD4 lymphocyte depletion is common in early HIV infection and that frequent screening is necessary to identify newly infected patients who would benefit from antiretroviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, (Infectious Disease Division), Naval Hospital, San Diego, CA 92134-5000.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Brodine
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Goforth
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Garland
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Oldfield
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D012042:Registries; D013587:Syphilis / Q000150:complications; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000150:complications; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens