title: Relationship between health-related quality of life measures and high HIV viral load in HIV-infected triple-class-experienced patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been recognized as a central measure of the overall health status in HIV patients. With the availability of different highly effective drug combinations, maximizing quality-adjusted survival has become a major target of HIV treatment. Although the association of HIV RNA and CD4 cell count with clinical HIV progression has been well established, the relation between these markers and HRQoL measures is still unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship linking HIV RNA and CD4 to HRQoL measures in 181 triple-class-experienced patients with advanced HIV disease. The instrument used was the ISSQoL, a self-administered and HIV-specific HRQoL questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data showed no correlation between HRQoL measures and CD4 counts. Higher HIV RNA levels were, however, associated with poor HRQoL scores in 3 out of 9 scales of social functioning, depression and anxiety, and satisfaction with quality of life. In multivariable analyses, only the satisfaction with quality of life mean score remained significantly lower for the HIV RNA ≯100,000 copies/mL group compared to the HIV RNA 50 to 10,000 copies/mL group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although other determinants of HRQoL in people with HIV should also be considered, this finding suggests a negative impact of high viral load on perceived HRQoL that adds to other described determinants of lower quality of life in people with HIV, such as lower social support and self-reported symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bucciardini
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Katherina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pugliese
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weimer
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Digregorio
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fragola
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariagrazia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Zaira
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Maroccia
authors.affiliation: University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ladisa
authors.affiliation: S. Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Francisci
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Infectious Diseases "L. Spallanzani", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bellagamba
authors.affiliation: University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Degli Antoni
authors.affiliation: University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guaraldi
authors.affiliation: University of Ancona, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cirioni
authors.affiliation: University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ortu
authors.affiliation: Santo Spirito Hospital, Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Giustino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parruti
authors.affiliation: University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mannazzu
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Infectious Diseases "L. Spallanzani", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Libertone
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Donnini
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Floridia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000145:classification* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019562:Viral Load / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: HIV/AIDS; HRQoL; viral load