Clinical and immunological presentation of new HIV-infected patients in an outpatient clinic

Abstract

Results 311 new patients were observed (305 HIV-1 infected and 6 HIV-2 infected), with a mean age of 42 ± 13,7 years. 218 (70%) patients were men. Risk factor for HIV-infection was sexual in 271 (87%) patients (18% were homo-bisexual). At the time of diagnosis the mean CD4+ cell count was 333 ± 305 cells/mm3; 132 (42,4%) patients had CD4 cell count <200/mm. In 89 (28,6%) patients an AIDS-defining illness was diagnosed simultaneously with HIV-infection diagnosis; 43% of these were tuberculosis. After a mean follow-up of 15 ± 9,7 months 27 (8,6%) patients died, 24/27 (88,8%) with AIDS and the other 3 patients one each with eosophageal cancer, hepatic failure and MSSA sepsis,. In 22/27 (81,4%) of the deceased patients the CD4 cell count was <200 cells/mm at the time of the HIV diagnosis. Discussion In the last 3 years, 42% of the new diagnosed patients had a serious immunological deficit. In 28% of them HIV-infection was diagnosed simultaneously with a defining AIDS opportunistic infection. The fact that 81,4% of the deceased patients had a CD4 cell count <200/mm at diagnosis shows that HIV-infection diagnosis was done too late for ART to be of benefit.