title: The impact of antiviral therapy with zidovudine: a retrospective study on HIV-positive hemophiliacs in Italy. Italian Group of Congenital Coagulopathies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effects of zidovudine (ZDV) treatment on progression to AIDS are not completely clear. This study evaluated the effects of ZDV treatment on the progression to AIDS in HIV-positive hemophiliacs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was carried out on HIV-infected hemophiliacs: it included 238 individuals, 119 each from the treated and the non-treated groups. For the group receiving ZDV, we included those for whom a CD4+ count was available prior (median = 1 month) to beginning therapy. The cumulative incidence of developing AIDS was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. To identify factors independently associated with progression to AIDS, a Cox proportional hazards model was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cumulative incidence of developing AIDS at 8 years after HIV seroconversion was 10.4% [standard error (SE) = 2.8%] for the treated group and 17.1% (SE = 3.8%) for the non-treated group. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.01). By multivariate analysis, ZDV therapy and CD4+ T-cell count > 200/mm3 were the parameters independently associated with a slower progression to AIDS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with zidovudine seems to slow the progression to AIDS in HIV-positive hemophiliacs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, AIDS Center, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arcieri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puopolo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baudo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiarotti
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Rosa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schinaia
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghirardini
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D015215:Zidovudine