Highly active antiretroviral therapy and incidence of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions among HIV-infected women with normal cytology and CD4 counts above 350 cells/mm3.
OBJECTIVE
To provide evidence for the long-term effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on the incidence of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) among HIV-positive women with normal cytology test and CD4 count above 350 cells/mm(3).


METHODS
A retrospective cohort study was carried out in HIV-positive women with two consecutive normal cervical cytological tests (Papanicolaou test) and at least one subsequent test, without previous cervical history of SIL or cancer diagnosis, and with an immunological status >350 CD4 cells/mm(3). The patients were divided into two groups: treated with HAART (HAART group) or not treated with HAART (NO-HAART group), during the period of time between cytology tests included in the survival analysis and time until SIL.


RESULTS
Between January 1997 and December 2006, 127 women were included: 90 in the HAART group and 37 in the NO-HAART group. Both groups of patients were similar with respect to demographic data, except for HIV viral load and previous HAART inclusion (P < 0.001). SIL was diagnosed in 27 of 90 (30%) patients in the HAART group and in 7 of 37 (19%) patients in the NO-HAART group (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 0.72-4.69, P = 0.202). The actuarial probability of remaining free of SIL at 3 years was 70% in the HAART group and 78% in the NO-HAART group. No variable was associated with an increased risk of developing SILs.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that when the patients' immunological status is above 350 CD4 cells/mm(3), the HIV-infected women treated with HAART present a similar cervical SIL incidence to women not on HAART.
Sirera
Guillem
G
HIV Clinical Unit, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (U.A.B.), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
Videla
Sebastià
S
López-Blázquez
Raquel
R
Llatjos
Mariona
M
Tarrats
Antoni
A
Castellà
Eva
E
Grane
Nuria
N
Tural
Cristina
C
Rey-Joly
Celestino
C
Clotet
Bonaventura
B
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D019562:Viral Load; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents