title: HIV-1 RNA, CD4 cell count and the risk of progression to AIDS and death during treatment with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is little information available on the correlation between HIV-1 RNA level, CD4 cell count and the risk of progression to AIDS or death during treatment with reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To define the correlation between HIV-1 RNA level, CD4 cell count and the 1 year risk of progression to AIDS or death.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pooled analysis of six randomized clinical trials of zidovudine/lamivudine versus control treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Investigational sites in Europe, North America, Australia and South Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  The trials recruited 1488 adult HIV-1-infected male and female patients aged > or = 18 years, with inclusion CD4 cell count between 25 and 500 x 10(6) cells/l. Patients were either nucleoside analogue-naive or pre-treated, and at all stages of HIV-1 disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  : Progression (defined as all new and recurrent AIDS-defining events or death) was correlated with the HIV-1 RNA level and CD4 cell count during the first 8 to 52 weeks of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a median 1 year follow up, progression was largely restricted to patients with both low CD4 cell count (< or = 200 x 10(6) cells/l) and high HIV-1 RNA level (> 5000 copies/ml). There was an increase in the incidence of progression events with rises in HIV-1 RNA level > 5000 copies/ml and reductions in CD4 cell count under 200 x 10(6) cells/l. The events occurring with HIV-1 RNA < 5000 copies/ml were generally atypical.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Progression to AIDS or death is rare for patients with HIV-1 RNA < or = 5000 copies/ml, particularly when CD4 cell count is more than 200 x 10(6) cells/l.
authors.affiliation: Klinikikum der Johann Wolfgang - Goethe Universität, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Staszewski
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DeMasi
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dawson
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors