Using HIV Viral Load From Surveillance to Estimate the Timing of Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

HIV surveillance programs do not typically collect comprehensive data on antiretroviral therapy (ART). We validated a population-based measure of ART initiation that uses HIV viral load (VL) results in the absence of data on ART.

Methods

We used CD4/VL data reported to NYC HIV Surveillance for persons aged ≥13 years and diagnosed with HIV from 2006 to 2012 to validate estimates of ART initiation date based on 3 ART initiation definitions: (1) ≥1-log decline in copies per milliliter between 2 VLs over 3 months; (2) ≥2-log decline in copies per milliliter between 2 VLs over 3 months; and (3) the earliest of either a ≥1-log decline in VL over 3 months, or a change from detectable VL to undetectable VL (<400 copies/mL) over any interval. We plotted median CD4 counts

SUBMITTER: Braunstein SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5584788 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature