title: Risk factors for progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among seroconverted and seropositive homosexual men.
abstract: For identification of risk factors for progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, 746 homosexual men participating in a cohort study in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, were studied since October 1984. A total of 234 of these men were HIV antibody-positive at baseline, and 52 seroconverted during follow-up. These 286 individuals were categorized as high- and low-risk for progression to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) on the basis of the presence or absence of HIV antigenemia, antibody to HIV core antigen, or a number of T helper lymphocytes less than 0.5 x 10(9)/liter during three or more subsequential blood samples. Ninety-six (41%) of the seropositives and 32 (62%) of those who seroconverted remained low-risk throughout the study period. Bivariate analyses revealed that educational level and a history of herpes zoster were associated with a low- and high-risk status, respectively. In multivariate analyses, a history of herpes zoster and a history of sexual intercourse with a person who had AIDS were associated with a more rapid disease progression. While herpes zoster is considered to be a marker of progressive immunodeficiency, a history of having sexual intercourse with a person who had AIDS points to the more virulent properties of HIV in these persons. Because both seropositives and seroconverters who had sexual intercourse with a person with AIDS had a more rapid disease progression, it seems plausible that being infected by a person with AIDS is a risk factor for a relative short incubation period.
authors.affiliation: Municipal Health Service, Department of Public Health and Environment, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: van Griensven
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: de Vroome
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Wolf
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goudsmit
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Coutinho
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000032:analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000097:blood; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015488:HIV Antigens; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D014758:Viral Core Proteins