title: Gender difference in 2-year mortality and immunological response to ART in an HIV-infected Chinese population, 2006-2008.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since it was initiated in 2002, the China Free Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) Program has been progressing from an emergency response to a standardized treatment and care system. As of December 31, 2009, a total of 81,880 patients in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and special municipalities received free ART. Gender differences, however, in mortality and immunological response to ART in this cohort have never been described.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To understand whether women and men who enrolled in the China National Free ART Program responded equally well to the treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of the national free ART databases from June 2006-December 2008 was performed. HIV-infected subjects who were 18 years or older, ART naïve at baseline, and on a 3TC regimen enrolled in the program from June 1 to December 31, 2006, were included in this study, then followed up to 2 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 3457 enrolled subjects who met the inclusion criteria, 59.2% were male and 40.8% female. The majority of the subjects were 19-44 years old (77%) and married (72%). Over the full 24 months of follow-up, the mortality rate was 19.0% in males and 11.4% in females (p = 0.0014). Males on therapy for 3-24 months were more likely to die than females (HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.04-2.06, p = 0.0307) after adjusting for baseline characteristics. Compared to men, women had higher CD4+ counts over time after initiating ART (p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that women had an overall lower mortality and higher CD4+ counts than men in response to ART treatment, which may be attributed to adherence, biological factors, social, cultural and economic reasons. Further study is needed to explore these factors that might contribute to the gender differences in mortality and immunological response to ART.
authors.affiliation: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhihui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.forename: Jiahong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jin Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Durako
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Fujie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods*; D044466:Asian People; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D019259:Lamivudine