Virological Response in Cerebrospinal Fluid to Antiretroviral Therapy in a Large Italian Cohort of HIV-Infected Patients with Neurological Disorders
Table 1
General characteristics of the 363 HIV-positive patients included in the study.
Characteristics
Patients = 363
Male gender (n, %)
281 (77.4%)
Age, median (years)
41 (IQR, 36–46)
HIV transmission route (n, %)
(i) IVDU
157 (43.3%)
(ii) MSM
46 (12.7%)
(iii) Heterosexual
111 (30.5%)
(iv) Other/unknown
49 (13.5%)
Previous AIDS defining event (n, %)
109 (30.0%)
CD4 cell count, median (cell/mm3)
71 (IQR, 22–162)
Plasma HIV-1 RNA, median (log10cp/mL)
4.98 (IQR, 3.81–5.44)
CSF HIV-1 RNA, median (log10cp/mL)
3.63 (IQR, 2.17–4.83)
Undetectable CSF HIV-RNA (n, %)
60 (16.5%)
Experienced to antiretroviral therapy (n, %)
182 (50.1%)
Experienced on ARV at neurological diagnosis (n, %)
120 (33.1%)
Time on HAART, median (months)
16 (IQR, 5–41)
>6 months on HAART before diagnosis (n, %)
118 (32.5%)
Cognitive symptoms
213 (58.7%)
Abnormal mental status
90 (24.8%)
Cerebral atrophy
137 (37.7%)
Neurological disorders
(i) HIVE
103 (28.4%)
(ii) PML
56 (15.4%)
(iii) PCNSL
18 (5.0%)
(iv) TE
36 (9.9%)
(v) EUO
37 (10.2%)
(vi) CM/TB
45 (12.4%)
(vii) Other diseases
68 (18.7%)
IVDU: intravenous drug users, MSM: men who have sex with men, CSF: cerebrospinal fluid; HIVE: HIV encephalopathy; PML: progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy; PCNSL: primary central nervous system lymphoma; TE: toxoplasmic encephalitis; EUO: encephalopathies of unknown origin; CM: cryptococcosis; TB: CNS tuberculosis/tubercular meningitis.