title: [Survival effect regarding earlier initiation of antiretroviral treatment on AIDS patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the survival effect of initiation of antiretroviral treatment on AIDS patients at different stages so as to explore the best time of initiation with the treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information regarding the dates of AIDS patient initially receiving the anti-retroviral therapy during 2007-2012 was collected from the Chinese HIV/AIDS Integrated Control System. According to the level of baseline immunology, all the participants were divided into earlier treatment group (baseline CD4(+) T cell counts between 350/µl and 500/µl) and conventional treatment group (baseline CD4(+) T cell counts ≤350/µl). Data was analyzed under Survival and Review methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total number of 16 282 cases were selected. The mortality of conventional treatment group was obviously higher than the earlier treatment group (5.78/100 person year vs. 1.64/100 person year), and the median survival time was lower than the earlier treatment group (2.07 year vs. 3.15 year). The cumulative survival rate of the 6-year conventional treatment group was lower than the earlier treatment group (77.39% vs. 92.10%, χ(2) = 156.00, P < 0.01). By means of multi-variable analysis, we found that factors as age, gender, marital status, route of transmission, schedule on initial therapy, number of symptoms at the baseline etc. in the conventional treatment group were associated with survival time of patients after the ART initiation (P < 0.05), while gender, schedule for initial therapy, number of symptoms at baseline etc. in the earlier treatment group, were associated with survival time of patients after the initiation of ART (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Earlier initiation of antiretroviral treatment on AIDS patients could improve the survival rate and prolong the survival time.
authors.affiliation: The College of Public Health of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Henan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Weifeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Henan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Yanmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Henan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Henan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Henan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Dingyong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Henan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Xueyong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Henan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Email: xubl@hncdc.com.cn.
authors.forename: Bianli
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu