title: Rate of AIDS diseases or death in HIV-infected antiretroviral therapy-naive individuals with high CD4 cell count.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the absolute rate of AIDS and death in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive patients with a high CD4 cell count. Such information would be helpful in the design of a trial investigating early initiation of ART.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of data from an ongoing HIV cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The rate of (severe) AIDS or death and death alone was evaluated in ART-naive patients according to the current CD4 cell count, focusing on CD4 cell counts > or = 350 cells/microl among patients in the UK CHIC Study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a total of 30 313 person-years of follow-up, there were 1557 AIDS or death events. The rate of AIDS or death in persons with most recent CD4 cell count 350-499, 500-649 and > 650 cells/microl was 2.49, 1.54 and 0.96 per 100 person-years, respectively. The rate ratio for those with CD4 cell count 500-649 cells/microl compared with those with CD4 cell count > or = 650 cells/microl was 1.55 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11-2.17; P = 0.01]. In a Poisson regression model based on person years with CD4 cell count > or = 350 cells/microl , there was a strong effect of CD4 cell count on rate of AIDS or death (rate ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.76-0.93; P = 0.001), independent of viral load and age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The trend of decreasing rate of AIDS and death with higher CD4 cell count is present throughout the CD4 cell count > or = 350 cells/microl range in ART-naive people.
authors: Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK. a.phillips@pcps.ucl.ac.uk
authors: Andrew N
authors: AN
authors: Phillips
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Gazzard
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Gilson
authors: Philippa
authors: P
authors: Easterbrook
authors: Margaret
authors: M
authors: Johnson
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Walsh
authors: Clifford
authors: C
authors: Leen
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Fisher
authors: Chloe
authors: C
authors: Orkin
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Anderson
authors: Deenan
authors: D
authors: Pillay
authors: Valerie
authors: V
authors: Delpech
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Sabin
authors: Achim
authors: A
authors: Schwenk
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Dunn
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Gompels
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Hill
authors: Kholoud
authors: K
authors: Porter
authors: Abdel
authors: A
authors: Babiker
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D019562:Viral Load