title: The AIDS epidemic in Lyon: patient characteristics and defining illnesses between 1985 and 2000.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define the characteristics of 1899 patients diagnosed with AIDS at Lyon University Hospitals (LUH) across four time periods corresponding to different antiretroviral eras, and to analyse the evolution of specific AIDS-defining illnesses (ADIs) with time.
  
  
  METHODS
  All AIDS patients at LUH between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2000 were included in the study. The data were compared using the chi(2) test and one-way analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The absolute number of new AIDS cases increased by 30.3% between 1985 and 1995 but decreased by 26.5% between 1996 and 2000. The proportion of women with AIDS increased significantly (P<0.001) and mean age at diagnosis also increased significantly over time (P<0.001). The proportion of infection through heterosexual contact increased dramatically, while that through homo/bisexual intercourse or injection drug use (IDU) decreased significantly (P<0.001). The absolute number of ADIs declined with the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) (P<10(-6)). Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia remained the leading ADI in 1996-2000 (23.3%). A significant increase in the proportion of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) was observed over time (P<10(-5)) but the number of new NHL cases decreased during HIV infection after 1996.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The decline in the incidence of AIDS with the advent of HAART was confirmed in our hospital cohort. The gradual increase in the proportion of NHL among ADIs underscores the long latency period between infection with HIV and the achievement of an effect of HAART on HIV-associated lymphomagenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Edouard Herriot Hospital, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gayet-Ageron
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baratin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marceillac
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allard
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peyramond
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chidiac
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trepo
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Livrozet
authors.forename: J-L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Touraine
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sepetjan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fabry
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vanhems
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology