title: Prognostic value of viremia in patients with long-standing human immunodeficiency virus infection. Swiss HIV Cohort Study Group.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viremia was evaluated in 73 patients with long-standing infection to investigate its relationship with clinical or biologic parameters and to assess its use as a predictor of clinical progression and death. After adjustment for other parameters, baseline HIV RNA level was significantly associated with baseline clinical stage and CD4 cell count. During follow-up (mean, 14.6 months), 16 patients died; 34 others had clinical progression of disease. In multivariate analysis, mortality was better predicted by baseline CD4 cell count (relative hazard [RH] for 100-cell decrease, 3.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-8.2; P = .003) than by HIV RNA (P = .28) or clinical stage. HIV RNA level was the best predictor of clinical progression (RH for 1 log increase, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.6-4.9; P < .001). Monitoring of HIV RNA level may help to identify patients who might benefit from antiretroviral or prophylactic therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Central Laboratory of Virology, Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galetto-Lacour
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yerly
authors.forename: T V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Perneger
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baumberger
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hirschel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perrin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000502:physiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D014766:Viremia / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral