title: The validity of the biological eligibility criteria to antiretroviral treatment in comparison to the systematic antiretroviral treatment in a cohort of people living with the HIV in the Southern Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The late screening of the majority of patients in sub Saharan region would justify a systematic antiretroviral treatment without breaking the country programs vision. he objective of this study was to determine the validity of biological eligibility criteria to antiretroviral treatment compared with systematic antiretroviral treatment in a cohort of the people living with HIV in Bukavu city.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand hundred and forty-nine (1149) records of people living with HIV (PLWIV) followed in three HIV health care facilities of Bukavu city were selected systematically. The ROC curve was constructed and analyzed to assess the validity of systematic antiretroviral therapy and a treatment based on WHO biological criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CD4 median count was 196 /mm3. On admission, only 17.3% of PLWHIV had a CD4≥500/mm3. Compared to the criteria "systematic antiretroviral treatment", biological eligibility criteria for antiretroviral therapy, had a sensitivity of 94.9%, a specificity of 100%, an AUC of 0.97 (0.96 to 0.98) (p <0.0001) and correlation coefficient of 0.88.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that a systematic antiretroviral treatment of seropositive patients newly detected for the HIV in sub-Saharan Africa area must be requirement outwards WHO current recommendations. Also, in order to optimize expected outcome of a systematic treatment, a systematic screening in the high-risk groups of this area should be recommended.
authors.affiliation: Regional School of Public Health / Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University of Bukavu, Po Box 285, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Ildefonse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Muzaliwa
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University of Bukavu, PoBox 285, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Nancy Francisca
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Isia
authors.affiliation: Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Nyangezi, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Dady
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yenga
authors.affiliation: Regional School of Public Health / Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University of Bukavu, Po Box 285, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kikobya
authors.affiliation: Support Center for People Living with HIV, Pharmakina Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Prince
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lunjwire
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University of Bukavu, PoBox 285, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo; Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Nyangezi, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Philippe Bianga
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Katchunga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents
keywords: Treatment; antiretroviral; immunodeficiency; southern Kivu province; systematic; virus