Poor Initial CD4+ Recovery With Antiretroviral Therapy Prolongs Immune Depletion and Increases Risk for AIDS and Non-AIDS Diseases.

The article examines the risk associated with a poor initial CD4+ recovery with effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), in terms of both AIDS and non-AIDS-related conditions. According to the authors, 30 out of 850 patients experienced the composite outcome of AIDS, non-AIDS or death among participants with a poor CD4+ recovery after eight months of effective ART. They add that the risk of the composite outcome associated with a poor CD4+ recovery declined when ART was initiated at higher CD4+ counts.