Injury to the immune system of HIV patients occurs faster than when the HIV epidemic began to erupt, suggesting that the virus has become more dangerous, according to new research in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases No. May 1, 2009.
Conventional knowledge indicates that after several years of being infected with HIV, antiviral therapy is needed. However, doctors found that patients needed medical care with lower CD4 cells than in previous years and often needed antiviral therapy sooner. This raises the question of whether HIV has become more dangerous.
The researchers counted data on more than 2000 cases of HIV-positive military and retirees between 1985 and 2007. These people had negative HIV results within the previous four years. When they looked at the CD4 cell count after diagnosis of HIV infection, they found that the number of cells decreased from 632 cells / mm 1985 in the period 1985-1990 to 514 cells / mm 2002 during 2002-2007. . In addition, 25% of patients diagnosed with HIV in recent years have a CD4 cell count of less than 514 / mm³, the threshold for which antiviral therapy should be initiated, compared with 12% in the late 1980s.
The authors emphasize that this trend seems to have stabilized, probably due to the widespread prevalence of antiviral therapies.
This is the first study of the United States to show that the amount of immune cells in patients diagnosed with HIV in recent years has decreased significantly . This result is consistent with the results in Europe, showing that this trend is expanding.
Co-author Nancy Crum-Cianflone, of Naval San Dieogo Medical Center, said: 'It is unfortunate that there is no longer a few years since diagnosis until treatment is needed - this time is being collected. short. Early diagnosis is important because patients can participate in early medical care and begin treatment before the immune system becomes weak. '
Refer:
1. Crum ‐ Cianflone et al.Is HIV Becoming More Virulent?Initial CD4 Cell Count among HIV Seroconverters during the Course of the HIV Epidemic: 1985-2007.Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2009;48 (9): 1285 DOI: 10.1086 / 597777