title: No evidence of a higher risk of progression to AIDS in patients with HIV-1-related severe thrombocytopenia.
abstract: The prognostic role of platelet (PLT) counts was evaluated in a cohort of 1,533 HIV-1-infected subjects followed for a median of 21 months. Thrombocytopenia (TCP), defined as a PLT count < or = 100 x 10(9)/L was present at enrollment in 11.2% of cases, with counts < or = 50 x 10(9)/L (severe TCP) in 5.3%. With the subjects with normal PLT counts (PLT >150 x 10(9)/L) as the reference group, the relative risk of developing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was 0.8 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.5-1.3, p = 0.4] for subjects with severe TCP, 2.1 (95% CI 1.4-3.1, p = 0.002) for those with PLT counts ranging from 51 to 100 x 10(9)/L (moderate TCP), and 1.6 (95% CI 1.2-2.1, p = 0.0004) for those with borderline PLT values (PLT ranging from 101 to 150 x 10(9)/L). Most of the risk increase associated with moderate TCP and borderline PLT values was explained by a higher prevalence of subjects with an older age and lower CD4+ cell counts. However, at multivariable analysis considering age, sex, risk group, and zidovudine (ZDV) treatment, the risk for subjects with severe TCP remained significantly lower than that for subjects with moderate TCP and borderline values. These results suggest the existence of different types of HIV-1-associated TCP and also suggest that severe TCP (which often arises in the early phases of infection) is not related to disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Clinica delle Malattie Infettive, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musicco
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gervasoni
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ridolfo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Niero
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rusconi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riva
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Voltolin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lupo
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Lovicu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Radice
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moroni
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010976:Platelet Count; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015215:Zidovudine