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Objectives: We sought to evaluate associations between CD4 at ART initiation (AI), achieving CD4 >750 cells/mm(3) (CD4 >750), long-term immunological recovery and survival., Methods: This was a prospective observational cohort study. We analysed data from ART-naive patients seen in 1996-2012 and followed ≥3 years after AI. We used Kaplan-Meier (KM) methods and log-rank tests to compare time to achieving CD4 >750 by CD4 at AI (CD4-AI); and Cox regression models and generalized estimating equations to identify factors associated with achieving CD4 >750 and mortality risk., Results: Of 1327 patients, followed for a median of 7.9 years, >85% received ART for ≥75% of follow-up time; 64 died. KM estimates evaluating likelihood of CD4 >750 during 5 years of follow-up, stratified by CD4-AI <50, 50-199, 200-349, 350-499 and 500-750, were 20%, 25%, 56%, 80% and 87%, respectively (log-rank P < 0.001). In adjusted models, CD4-AI ≥200 (versus CD4-AI <200) was associated with achievement of CD4 >750 [adjusted HR (aHR) = 4.77]. Blacks were less likely than whites to achieve CD4 >750 (33% versus 49%, aHR = 0.77). Mortality rates decreased with increasing CD4-AI (P = 0.004 across CD4 strata for AIDS causes and P = 0.009 for non-AIDS death causes). Among decedents with CD4-AI ≥50, 56% of deaths were due to non-AIDS causes., Conclusions: Higher CD4-AI resulted in greater long-term CD4 gains, likelihood of achieving CD4 >750, longer survival and decreased mortality regardless of cause. Over 80% of persons with CD4-AI ≥350 achieved CD4 >750 by 4 years while 75% of persons with CD4-AI <200 did not. These data confirm the hazards of delayed AI and support early AI., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

We analyzed 369 patients with no prior Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection and CD4 <50 cells/μL (baseline), while on combination antiretroviral therapy(cART), for incidence rates of primary MAC infection during the 6 months after baseline, by prophylaxis status. Of participants (median age, 40 years old), most were male (81%) and about half were non-white; at baseline, 81% of participants were on cART >60 days and 19% had HIV RNA <1000 copies/mL, whereas 65% had HIV RNA >10,000 copies/mL. Eleven patients had MAC infection within 6 months baseline (rate=0.6/100 person months): 4/175 on MAC prophylaxis vs. 7/194, no MAC prophylaxis (p=0.64). Of the 11 patients, seven had HIV RNA >10,000, and three >1000-9999 copies/mL at baseline (one missing). Median time to MAC infection was 62 days (IQR 43-126, maximum 139 days). No MAC infection occurred among 71 (19%) patients virologically suppressed (HIV RNA <1000 copies/mL) at baseline, including 41 patients with no MAC prophylaxis during follow-up. A small number of eligible virologically suppressed participants and the lack of data on cART/MAC prophylaxis adherence limited our observational nonrandomized study. Primary MAC prophylaxis may not be required for cART-virologically suppressed patients with CD4 <50 cells/mL.

Background: There are limited data on the risk of developing HIV drug resistance based on the CD4 cell count at which highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is initiated., Methods: We examined data from participants in the HIV Outpatient Study who initiated antiretroviral therapy with HAART in 1999 or later (when genotypic resistance testing became more commonly used in clinical practice and in the HIV Outpatient Study), achieved virologic suppression, and subsequently experienced virologic failure and received a genotypic assay for antiretroviral resistance mutations. We assessed the frequency of resistance mutations at virologic failure and the differences in the frequencies of mutations by the CD4 stratum at which HAART was initiated using the Cochran-Armitage exact test., Results: Of 683 patients who achieved virologic suppression on a first HAART regimen, 243 had virologic failure and 78 of these had a genotype resistance test done. Among these patients, the frequency of any HIV resistance mutations was 50% among patients who started HAART at 0-199 CD4 cells per cubic millimeter or 200-349 CD4 cells per cubic millimeter compared with 22% among patients who started HAART at >or=350 CD4 cells per cubic millimeter (P = 0.062). The frequency of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-associated mutations was 48%, 31%, and 11% among persons who initiated nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-containing HAART within these respective CD4 cell count strata (P = 0.005). We observed similar trends for nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-associated (P = 0.040) and protease inhibitor-associated (P = 0.063) mutations among persons initiating HAART containing these agents., Conclusions: Patients failing HAART that was initiated at <350 CD4 cells per cubic millimeter had higher frequencies of resistance mutations to the classes of antiretrovirals to which they had been exposed than failing patients who initiated at >or=350 CD4 cells per cubic millimeter. Initiating HAART at higher CD4 cell counts may decrease the risk of developing treatment-limiting antiretroviral resistance.

Background: US guidelines recommend deferring initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for most patients with CD4 counts >350 cells/mm in part because of concerns about antiretroviral toxicity., Methods: Incidence rates of peripheral neuropathy, anemia, and renal insufficiency in a cohort of 2165 patients followed more than 3 years (mean) were analyzed in multivariate Cox proportional hazards models by CD4 cell counts at initiation of HAART. A nested cohort of 895 patients restricted to study participants who did or did not start HAART within a CD4 cell count stratum were also compared., Results: Incidence and risks of all 3 comorbidities decreased with initiation of HAART at CD4 counts >200 cells/mm versus <200 cells/mm. Incidence and risks of renal insufficiency were similar with HAART initiation at CD4 counts >/=350 cells/mm versus 200 to 349 cells/mm, but risk of peripheral neuropathy and anemia were further decreased in persons starting HAART at a CD4 count >/=350 cells/mm. The incidence of these conditions was highest during the first 6 months of treatment at any CD4 cell count and declined up to 19-fold with further therapy., Discussion: Initiating HAART at CD4 cell counts >/=200 cells/mm reduced the incidence and risk of the 3 comorbid conditions and for anemia and peripheral neuropathy as well by starting at CD4 counts >/=350 cells/mm. The incidence of each condition decreased rapidly and remained low with increasing time on HAART.