Table 1

Patient characteristics in naïve and experienced groups

Charactertistic
Antiretroviral naïve (N = 155)
Antiretroviral experienced (N = 883)

(quantitative)
Mean
SD
Mean
SD

Age (years)
38.86
6.47
38.91
5.44
Nadir CD4+ (cells/μl)
185.02
115.79
159.99
131.80
CD4+ T-cell count at baseline (cells/μl)
206.75
133.53
357.88
233.05
HIV-RNA at baseline (copies/ml)
177,480
252,619
53,615
168,410
ALT at baseline (x10 IU/l)
6.94
4.14
7.13
4.42
AST at baseline (x10 IU/l)
6.27
3.88
5.87
3.94
CD4+ T-cell slope (cells/μl)
107.86
116.37
44.30
149.48
Exposure to DDX-drugs at baseline (days)
-
-
1,288
1,075

(qualitative)
N
%
N
%

Gender (male)
113
72.90
677
76.67
Risk factor for HIV acquisition (former IVDU)
105
67.74
684
77.46
HBsAg positivity
15
10.27
55
6.48
HDVAb positivity
4
2.96
25
2.83
Previous grade ≥III LFT elevation
15
9.68
317
35.90
Previous treatment with IFN
7
4.52
72
8.15
Concurrent use of DDX-drugs
50
32.26
526
59.57
Concurrent use of 3TC
138
89.03
618
69.99
Concurrent use of TDF
17
18.97
136
15.40

Treatment group (Single PI)
32
20.64
202
22.88

NFV
27
84.38
147
72.77
IDV
2
6.25
32
15.84
SQV
3
9.37
19
9.41
Others
-
-
4
1.98

Treatment group (Multiple PI)
50
32.26
322
36.47

LPV/r
42
84
175
54.35
IDV/r
5
10
83
25.78
SQV/r
1
2
48
14.91
Others
2
4
16
4.96

Treatment group (NNRTI)
73
47.10
359
41.62

EFV
42
57.53
165
45.96
NVP
31
42.47
194
54.04

The following abbreviations were used: SD = standard deviation; ALT = alanine amino-transferase, AST = aspartate amino-transferase; DDX = dideoxy-nucleoside analogue drugs (i.e., didanosine, stavudine, zalcitabine); IVDU = intra-venous drug use; IFN = interferon; 3TC = lamivudine, TDF = tenofovir disoproxil fumarate; PI = protease inhibitor, NFV = nelfinavir, IDV = indinavir, SQV = saquinavir, LPV/r = lopinavir/ritonavir, IDV/r = indinavir/ritonavir; SQV/r = saquinavir/ritonavir; NNRTI = non nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, EFV = efavirenz, NVP = nevirapine.

The following variables were different between drug naive and experienced patients at univariate comparison: nadir CD4+ T-cell count (P: 0.027), CD4+ T-cell count at baseline (P < 0.001), HIV-RNA at baseline (P < 0.001), CD4+ T-cell slope (P: <0.001), risk factor for HIV acquisition (P: 0.009), previous LFT elevation grade ≥III (P < 0.001), concurrent use of DDX-drugs (P < 0.001), concurrent use of 3TC (P < 0.001), use of IDV as single PI (P: 0.002), use of LPV/r (P: 0.04) or SQV/r (P: 0.009) as multiple PI, use of EFV as NNRTI (P: 0.016).

CD4+ T-cell slope was available for 146 patients in naïve group and for 844 patients in experienced group; HBsAg status was available for 146 patients in naive group and for 848 patients in experienced group; HDVAb status was available for 135 patients in naive group and for 833 patients in experienced group.

Torti et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2005 5:58   doi:10.1186/1471-2334-5-58