[Clinical and epidemiological study of a series of HIV-infected patients over 50 years old].
BACKGROUND
The epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has changed in recent years. Cases in persons over the age of 50 have increased, and the most frequent mode of transmission is sexual contact. The objective of this study is to analyse the epidemiological, clinical and evolution characteristics of a clinical series of HIV-infected patients over 50 years old at the time of diagnosis.


METHODS
165 HIV-infected patients over the age of 50, attended at Hospital Clinic (Barcelona) and Corporació Parc Taulí (Sabadell) during the period of 1985 to 2001, were studied.


RESULTS
Among the total, 81% of the patients were men, mean age at the time of diagnosis was 58.5 years, and 81.8% had acquired the disease by sexual contact. The median initial CD4 T cell count was 216 cells/microl. Initial viral load was 1,000-100,000 copies/ml in 45.2% of the patients, whereas 52.3% had > 100,000 copies/ml. At the time of diagnosis, 30.9% had an AIDS-defining disease. The main opportunistic diseases were pulmonary tuberculosis, Kaposi's sarcoma, P. jiroveci (before carinii) pneumonia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Mortality due to AIDS was 32.7%.


CONCLUSIONS
Subjects over 50 years old diagnosed with HIV-infection were predominantly men, who acquired the infection by sexual contact. A high percentage of patients were diagnosed with the development of an opportunistic disease.
Antón
Esperança
E
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Corporació Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain. eanton@cspt.es
Sala
Montserrat
M
Mallolas
Josep
J
Navarro
Gemma
G
Cervantes
Manuel
M
Gatell
Josep M
JM
Segura
Ferran
F
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000401:mortality; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology; D065227:Transfusion Reaction