Clinical signs and laboratory markers in predicting progression to AIDS in HIV-1 infected patients.

ABSTRACT

In a prospective longitudinal study 89 men with HIV-1 infection were observed for a mean time of 51 months with regard to clinical signs and laboratory findings predictive of progression to AIDS/opportunistic infection (OI). In a bivariate regression analysis the clinical signs showing a significant relation to AIDS development were dermatitis of the face, yellow toe nail changes, hairly leukoplakia and oral candidiasis. The laboratory findings significantly associated with progression to AIDS were decrease of the relative and absolute number of CD4 lymphocytes, decrease of the CD4/CD8 ratio, HIV p24 antigenaemia, lack of anti-HIV p24, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anaemia and elevated serum-beta-2-microglobulin. The relative number (%) of CD4 cells was found superior to the absolute number and the CD4/CD8 ratio. In a multivariate regression analysis decrease of CD4 lymphocytes and lack of anti-HIV p24 were independently associated with subsequent AIDS/OI development.