@article{621857f136004315b3547f3ae0ffc800,
title = "Inferior clinical outcome of the CD4+ cell count-guided antiretroviral treatment interruption strategy in the SMART study: role of CD4+ Cell counts and HIV RNA levels during follow-up",
abstract = "BACKGROUND AND METHODS: The SMART study compared 2 strategies for using antiretroviral therapy-drug conservation (DC) and viral suppression (VS)-in 5,472 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with CD4+ cell counts >350 cells/microL. Rates and predictors of opportunistic disease or death (OD/death) and the relative risk (RR) in DC versus VS groups according to the latest CD4+ cell count and HIV RNA level are reported. RESULTS: During a mean of 16 months of follow-up, DC patients spent more time with a latest CD4+ cell count <350 cells/microL (for DC vs. VS, 31% vs. 8%) and with a latest HIV RNA level >400 copies/mL (71% vs. 28%) and had a higher rate of OD/death (3.4 vs. 1.3/100 person-years) than VS patients. For periods of follow- up with a CD4+ cell count <350 cells/microL, rates of OD/death were increased but similar in the 2 groups (5.7 vs. 4.6/100 person-years), whereas the rates were higher in DC versus VS patients (2.3 vs. 1.0/100 person-years; RR, 2.3 [95% confidence interval, 1.5-3.4]) for periods with the latest CD4+ cell count >or= 350 cells/microL-an increase explained by the higher HIV RNA levels in the DC group. CONCLUSIONS: The higher risk of OD/death in DC patients was associated with (1) spending more follow-up time with relative immunodeficiency and (2) living longer with uncontrolled HIV replication even at higher CD4+ cell counts. Ongoing HIV replication at a given CD4+ cell count places patients at an excess risk of OD/death.",
keywords = "AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections, Anti-HIV Agents, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, Drug Administration Schedule, HIV, HIV Infections, Humans, Proportional Hazards Models, RNA, Viral, Treatment Outcome",
author = "NN NN and Lundgren, {Jens D} and Abdel Babiker and Wafaa El-Sadr and Sean Emery and Birgit Grund and Neaton, {James D} and Jacquie Neuhaus and Phillips, {Andrew N}",
note = "Multicenterunders{\o}gelse Thomas Benfield, Member of the SMART Study Group, Copenhagen Regional Coordinating Center",
year = "2008",
doi = "10.1086/529523",
language = "English",
volume = "197",
pages = "1145--55",
journal = "Journal of Infectious Diseases",
issn = "0022-1899",
publisher = "Oxford University Press",
number = "8",
}