Clinical and immunologic outcomes of HAART-treated HIV-infected women in resource constrain settings: the Belgrade Study

Women Health. 2014;54(1):35-47. doi: 10.1080/03630242.2013.850465.

Abstract

We performed a study to identify factors related to favorable response to highly active-antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in HIV-infected women. A retrospective study was performed on 216 women who had initiated HAART from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2012, at the HIV/AIDS Center, Belgrade, Serbia. Participants were followed-up for 8.2 ± 3.4 years. The mean age was 37 ± 9.7 years. During follow-up, it was found that 26 patients had died. Clinical AIDS at initiation of HAART was observed in 43.9% patients, while 64.8% had a CD4+ T-cell count below 200 cells/μL. Multivariate analyses revealed that the single factor independently related to a favorable response to HAART was good compliance (odds [OR] ratio for survival = 2.9, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.0-8.6, p = 0.03), while a baseline CD4+ T-cell count below 100 cells/μL, hepatitis C virus coinfection, and aged 40 years and older were all associated with an unfavorable response to HAART (OR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.15-0.52, p < 0.001; OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.22-0.8, p = 0.008; OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.21-0.79, p = 0.008, respectively). The estimated 14-year-survival was 100% in patients with sustained viral suppression, regardless of the CD4+ counts achieved (p = 0.6, log-rank). If women with advanced HIV-related immunodeficiency reach and maintain optimal viral suppression during HAART, regardless of the level of immune recovery, and if they continue to maintain this suppression for up to a mean 8 years of treatment, their prognosis may be fairly good, even in resource-limited settings.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active*
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy*
  • HIV Infections / immunology*
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • HIV-1 / genetics
  • HIV-1 / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Patient Compliance
  • Prognosis
  • RNA, Viral / blood
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Serbia
  • Survival Analysis
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Viral Load / drug effects*

Substances

  • RNA, Viral