title: HIV disease progression in the first year after delivery among African women followed in the HPTN 046 clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Starting lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV-infected pregnant women may decrease HIV progression and transmission, but adherence after delivery may be difficult, especially for asymptomatic women. We evaluated disease progression among HIV-infected women not on ART with CD4⁺ lymphocyte counts above 200 cells per microliter at delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed risk of death, progression to AIDS (stage IV or CD4 < 200 cells per microliter), or to CD4⁺ count <350 1 year after delivery among postpartum women enrolled to a prevention of breastfeeding transmission trial using the Kaplan-Meier method. In the primary analysis, women were censored if ART was initiated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 1285 women who were not WHO stage IV or less at 6 weeks postpartum, 49 (4.3%) progressed to stage IV/CD4 <200 cells per microliter or death by 1 year. Progression to CD4 <200 cells per microliter or death occurred among 16 (4.3%) of 441 women with CD4 count of 350-549 cells per microliter and 10 (1.6%) of 713 with CD4 counts >550 cells per microliter at delivery. CD4 <350 cells per microliter by 12 months postpartum occurred among 116 (37.0%) of 350 women with CD4 count 400-549 cells per microliter and 48 (7.4%) of 713 with CD4 count >550 cells per microliter at delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Progression to AIDS or CD4 count <350 cells per microliter is uncommon through 1 year postpartum for women with CD4 counts over 550 cells per microliter at delivery, but occurred in over one third of those with CD4 counts under 550 cells per microliter. ART should be continued after delivery or breastfeeding among women with CD4 counts <550 cells per microliter if follow-up and antiretroviral adherence can be maintained.
authors.affiliation: *Maternal and Pediatric Infectious Disease Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD; †Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA; ‡Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA; §University of Zimbabwe College of Medicine, Harare, Zimbabwe; ‖Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa; ¶Makerere University-Johns Hopkins University Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda; #Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; **Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; ††Family Health International, Research Triangle Park, Chapel Hill, NC; ‡‡Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes, Baltimore, MD; §§National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD; ‖‖Maternal Adolescent and Child Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, and ¶¶Statistical Center for HIV/AIDS Research and Prevention (SCHARP), Seattle, WA.
authors.forename: D Heather
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maldonado
authors.forename: Casey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herron
authors.forename: Tsungai
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chipato
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Dhayendre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moodley
authors.forename: Clemensia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nakabiito
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Manji
authors.forename: Wafaie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fawzi
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Sheryl
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zwerski
authors.forename: Hoosen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Coovadia
authors.forename: Maryglenn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fowler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018450:Disease Progression; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D019829:Nevirapine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D019562:Viral Load / Q000187:drug effects; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D019829:Nevirapine