title: Prognostic value of some laboratory parameters in a group of intravenous drug users in the early stages of HIV infection.
abstract: During a 5 year follow-up we found significantly reduced survival for non-accidental deaths in 37 intravenous drug users (IVUDs) in the early stages of HIV infection when compared with 32 HIV-negative IVUDs (p = 0.017). Moreover, in HIV-positive subjects, survival was significantly reduced for those groups which at the beginning of the follow-up showed the following values: circulating CD4+ lymphocytes <250/mmc (p = 0.007), CD4+/CD8+ ratio < 0.5 (p = 0.027), serum albumin < 4.13 g/dl (p = 0.045), IgA > or = 2.5 g/l (p = 0.043), IgM < 1.8 g/L (p = 0.041) and platelet count < 130 x 1,000/mmc (p = 0.038). In HIV positive patients, the value of 250 units/mmc for the circulating CD4+ lymphocytes still remained the most predictive parameter of increased mortality for disease at 5 years, even following investigations conducted with other cut-offs. Relationships existing at the beginning of the follow-up between circulating CD4+ lymphocytes and other prognostic parameters suggest that IgA (r = -0.34; p = 0.04), serum albumin (r = 0.33; p = 0.05), and CD4+/CD8+ ratio (r = 0.72; p = 0.0001), but not IgM (r = 0.25; N.S.) and platelets (r = 0.07; N.S.), are dependent variables of shortened survival.
authors.affiliation: Divisione Medica Rizzi, Ospedale Niguarda Ca' Granda, Milano.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cirasino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caroli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imbriani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prete
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrario
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silvani
mesh_terms: D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D010976:Platelet Count; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012709:Serum Albumin