Long-term increase in CD4+ T-cell counts during combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-1 infection.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To inform guidelines concerning when to initiate combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), we investigated whether CD4(+) T-cell counts (CD4 cell counts) continue to increase over long periods of time on ART. Losses-to-follow-up and some patients discontinuing ART at higher CD4 cell counts hamper such evaluation, but novel statistical methods can help address these issues. We estimated the long-term CD4 cell count trajectory accounting for losses-to-follow-up and treatment discontinuations.

Design

The study population included 898 US patients first initiating ART in a randomized trial (AIDS Clinical Trials Group 384); 575 were subsequently prospectively followed in an observational study (AIDS Clinical Trials Group Longitudinal Linked Randomized Trials).

Methods

SUBMITTER: Lok JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3018341 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature