title: Asymptomatic subjects at HIV diagnosis have prolonged survival as AIDS patients.
abstract: The median AIDS survival for all AIDS patients was estimated as 11 months (95% confidence interval (Cl): 8-13 months). For the group of AIDS patients who were asymptomatic when HIV seropositivity was established, the median AIDS survival was 20 months (95% Cl: 13-23 months). For the group with symptomatic HIV infection or those who already had AIDS when HIV seropositivity was established, survival was estimated to 5 months (95% Cl: 1-15 months) and 4.5 months (95% Cl: 2-8 months), respectively. By using a Cox proportional hazard model it was found that being asymptomatic when HIV seropositivity was established or having Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia as the initial AIDS-related disease were associated with long AIDS survival. Being HIV infected by transfusion was associated with short survival. Long AIDS survival in the asymptomatic group may be explained by a positive selection of slow disease progressors. Differences in diagnostic routines may also cause systematic differences in the estimated AIDS survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eskild
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Magnus
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nilsen
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hasseltvedt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lystad
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000401:mortality*; D000328:Adult; D015982:Bias; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors