title: Progression to AIDS and death and response to HAART in men and women from a multicenter hospital-based cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study if progression to AIDS and death, as well as clinical and virological response to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), differs between men and women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied a multicenter, hospital-based cohort of HIV-infected patients attending 10 hospitals in Spain from January 1997 to December 2003. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression were used to assess the effect of sex on time to AIDS, survival from AIDS, onset of a new AIDS event or death, and viral suppression from HAART.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 4643 patients, 27% were women. Women had statistically significant lower viral loads (VL) of 3.9 vs. 4.1 log10/mL (p = 0.02) and higher median CD4 counts of 339 vs. 288 cells/mm3 (p < 0.001) at entry and were more likely to be AIDS free at entry. In univariate analysis, women seemed to show a nonsignificant lower progression to AIDS (HR 0.88) (95 CI% 0.73-1.07), which disappeared in multivariate analyses (HR 1.03) (95% CI 0.82-1.29). Survival from AIDS seemed to be higher in women (HR 0.65) (95% CI 0.40-1.05), but differences became clearly nonsignificant after adjustments (HR 0.71) (95% CI 0.42-1.23). No differences were seen in time to new AIDS condition or death after HAART (HR 1.08) (95% CI 0.80-1.46) in multivariate analyses. No differences were seen for time to VL suppression after initiation of HAART (HR 1.07) (95% CI 0.92-1.24).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have found no differences in HIV progression and response to HAART attributable to gender among patients accessing the Spanish hospital network.
authors: Escuela Valenciana de Estudios en Salud, Community of Valencia, Spain.
authors: Santiago
authors: S
authors: Perez-Hoyos
authors: M Angeles
authors: MA
authors: Rodríguez-Arenas
authors: Manuela
authors: M
authors: García de la Hera
authors: José A
authors: JA
authors: Iribarren
authors: Santiago
authors: S
authors: Moreno
authors: Pompeyo
authors: P
authors: Viciana
authors: Alejandro
authors: A
authors: Peña
authors: José L
authors: JL
authors: Gómez Sirvent
authors: María
authors: M
authors: Saumoy
authors: José
authors: J
authors: Lacruz
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Padilla
authors: José A
authors: JA
authors: Oteo
authors: Román
authors: R
authors: Asencio
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Del Amo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019562:Viral Load / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents