title: Prolonged decrease of CD4+ T lymphocytes in HIV-1-infected patients after radiotherapy for a solid tumor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In HIV-negative patients, radiotherapy (RT) decreases CD4 T-cell counts. We studied the effects of RT in HIV-1 positive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  HIV-1 positive patients with a subsequent diagnosis of a solid tumor were selected from the Dutch national observational HIV cohort, Aids Therapy Evaluation in the Netherlands (ATHENA). The patients were grouped according to whether they had received RT or not. Primary endpoint of the study was the time from baseline to reaching CD4 cell counts higher than those at baseline. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the percentage of patients reaching the endpoint were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety patients were included of whom 36 received RT and 54 did not. Median duration of RT was 46 [interquartile range (IQR) 30-63] days. Median first CD4 cell count after stopping RT was 150 (IQR 30-270) × 10/L lower compared with baseline. In 13 of the 36 patients receiving RT, CD4 cell counts recovered to baseline, after a median of 469 (IQR 345-595) days. In 35 of the 54 patients without RT, the CD4 cell count recovered to baseline or higher, after a median of 112 (IQR 42-182) days. After 3 years, in 39% of patients who had RT compared with 71% of patients without RT, CD4 cell counts recovered to baseline or higher (P < 0.0001). In a Cox regression adjusted for potential confounders, RT was associated with a longer (hazard ratio 0.29; 95% confidence interval 0.13 to 0.63) and combination antiretroviral therapy use with a shorter time to return to baseline [hazard ratio 2.46 (95% confidence interval 1.11 to 5.48)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RT resulted in a significant and prolonged decrease in CD4 cell counts.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Diakonessenhuis, Utrecht, the Netherlands. ssankatsing@diakhuis.nl
authors: Sanjay U C
authors: SU
authors: Sankatsing
authors: Mariska M J
authors: MM
authors: Hillebregt
authors: Luuk
authors: L
authors: Gras
authors: Kees
authors: K
authors: Brinkman
authors: Marchina
authors: M
authors: van der Ende
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: de Wolf
authors: Lukas J A
authors: LJ
authors: Stalpers
authors: Jan M
authors: JM
authors: Prins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000821:virology*; D009426:Netherlands; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies