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Session 62 Poster Abstracts
Primary Infection: Treatment Trials and STIs
Tuesday, 1:30 - 3:30 pm
Poster Hall


398    
Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Uptake in Patients Newly Infected with HIV Identified over a 1-year Period: The Phaedra Collaborative Cohort
T Ramacciotti*1, D Smith1, M Johnston2, E Pae3, M Bloch4, E Rosenberg2, J Kaldor1, B D Walker2, and The Boston-Sydney PHI Study Group
1Natl. Ctr. in HIV Epidemiology and Clin. Res., Univ. of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; 2Massachusetts Gen Hosp, Boston USA; 3Fenway Community Hlth. Ctr., Boston, MA, USA; and 4Holdsworth House Clin., Sydney, Australia

Background:  The clinical value of initiating antiretroviral (ARV) therapy during primary HIV infection is unclear. To determine whether baseline patient characteristics influenced the decision to start ARV therapy we collected data on patients identified with PHI over a one year period. The primary outcome measure was which ARV therapy, if any, was begun.

Methods:  From September 2002 to September 2003, all consenting persons newly infected with HIV were recruited to a cohort study from multiple participating sites in Boston, United States, and Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. Acute infection was defined as primary HIV infection symptoms, viraemia, and an incomplete antibody response; early infection was defined as positive Western blot with a preceding negative ELISA within a 1-year period. Clinical, immunological, and virological evaluations were recorded at baseline and at standard of care visits thereafter, as were timing and choice of ARV therapy. Using SAS (version 8.2) procedure GENMOD, the likelihood of commencing treatment was modelled.

Results:  As of September 2003, a total of 113 subjects were recruited. The following table summarizes key demographic and laboratory findings:

 

Baseline Characteristics

 

 

(n = 113)

Median values

Interquartile Range

Plasma RNA copies/mL

303,000

724,300

CD4+/ mm3

460

413

Age at study entry

34

11

Number of seroconversion symptoms

5

3

Duration of symptoms, days

20

22

Bands positive on Western blot

3

6

Keywords: treatment uptake; predictors; primary infection