title: Impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy on CD4+ T cells and viral load of children with AIDS: a population-based study.
abstract: In this study, we sought to characterize the changes over time at the population level on CD4(+) T cells and plasma viral load (VL) levels of HIV-1-infected children with or without AIDS. We carried out a retrospective study in 114 HIV-infected children during the calendar period that a highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) protocol was used. The HAART protocol consisted of three drugs: nucleoside analogue HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and/or HIV protease inhibitors, and/or nonnucleoside analogue HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The mean of CD4(+) T cells percentage and log(10) VL per calendar year were stratified by AIDS diagnostic. As new HAART strategies become available, an increase of CD4(+) T cells and a decrease of VL were observed over time, in children with and without AIDS. In 2001, children with AIDS reached values of CD4(+) T cells and VL similar to children without AIDS. In conclusion, our study shows that the generalized use of HAART has permitted improvement in immunological and virological status of HIV-infected children without AIDS, and more importantly in children with AIDS.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Inmuno-Biología Molecular, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Resino
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bellón
authors.forename: José Tomas
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Resino
authors.forename: M Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Gurbindo
authors.forename: M José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mellado
authors.forename: M Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: de José
authors.forename: M Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Fernández
mesh_terms: D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral