title: Prognostic value of single measurements of beta-2-microglobulin, immunoglobulin A in HIV disease after controlling for CD4 lymphocyte counts and plasma HIV RNA levels.
abstract: The interrelationships between the CD4 lymphocyte count, plasma viral load [human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA], beta-2-microglobulin (beta2-M) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) and the mortality risk was explored in 234 HIV-infected individuals (median CD4 count 230 cells/mm3, range 1-1,247). Product-moment correlation analysis was used to study the association between beta2-M, IgA and HIV RNA. A proportional hazards Cox model was used to estimate the relative hazard (RH) of death. Both beta2-M (r = 0.49, p < 0.0001) and IgA (r = 0.42, p < 0.0001) were positively correlated with HIV RNA. High beta2-M levels were associated with an increased risk of death in both univariate Cox analysis and after adjustment for HIV RNA, CD4 lymphocyte count and age [RH = 1.16 per 100 nmol/l higher beta2-M, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-1.27]. Raised IgA levels were associated with shorter survival in individuals with a CD4 count above 50 cells/mm3 in univariate analysis as well as after adjusting for age and CD4 lymphocyte count (RH = 1.19 per 10 micromol/l higher IgA, 95% CI 1.01-1.39). However, this association was no longer significant after further adjusting for HIV RNA. In conclusion, beta2-M levels provided additional prognostic information for survival to the information obtained by CD4 count and HIV RNA levels, whereas serum IgA only was a weak prognostic marker in this fairly progressed cohort.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Finsen Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ullum
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lepri
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Katzenstein
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skinhøj
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerstoft
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Pedersen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D012367:RNA, Viral; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin