title: Crack cocaine: effect modifier of RNA viral load and CD4 count in HIV infected African American women.
abstract: This study reports on the role of cocaine as effect modifier of the association of CD4+ cell counts and RNA viral load. HIV-1 seropositive (n = 80) and seronegative (n = 42) African American women (AAW) crack cocaine smokers were recruited. Increasing cocaine use, based on self-reports and laboratory values, significantly exacerbates the immunopathology of HIV-1 in a dose-response manner, confirmed by a non-linear drop in CD4+ cell number for a given viral load in HIV+ AAW. This report supports a view of deleterious effects due to cocaine use in humans.
authors.affiliation: University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Miami, FL 33136, USA. rduncan@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shapshak
authors.forename: J Bryan
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiappelli
authors.forename: Clyde B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Messiah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016578:Crack Cocaine / Q000633:toxicity*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D016578:Crack Cocaine; D012367:RNA, Viral