Low pre-ART CD4 count is associated with increased risk of clinical progression or death even after reaching 500 CD4 cells/μL on ART.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Clinical disadvantages of initiating ART at low CD4 counts have been clearly demonstrated but whether any excess risk remains even after reaching relatively high/safe CD4 levels remains unclear. We explore whether individuals starting ART with <500 CD4 cells/μL who increased their CD4 count above this level, have, from this point onwards, similar risk of clinical progression to serious AIDS/non-AIDS events or death with individuals starting ART with ≥500 CD4 cells/μL.

Methods

Data were derived from a multicenter cohort (AMACS). Adults, starting PI, NNRTI or INSTI based ART, in or after 2000 were eligible, provided they started ART with ≥500 ("High CD4") or started with CD4 <500 cells/μL but surpassed this threshold while on ART ("Low CD4"). Baseline was the date

SUBMITTER: Pantazis N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10062628 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature