Document 2386
 DOCN  M94A2386
 TI    Longitudinal observation of 1554 German i.v. drug addicts with
       HIV-infection: nonlinear CD4 slopes decreasing with baseline CD4 counts.
       GASG (German AIDS Study Group).
 DT    9412
 AU    Baumgarten R; Helm EB; Arasteh K; Sadri I; Brockmeyer NH; Bogner JR;
       Medizinische Poliklinik, Munich, Germany.
 SO    Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(1):316 (abstract no. PC0196). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA10/94370189
 AB    OBJECTIVE: I: To determine the extent of CD4 lymphocyte loss according
       to different baseline levels. II: To determine the course of
       HIV-infection, survival and infectious complications in German i.v. drug
       (IDU) addicts. METHODS/PATIENTS: Multicenter longitudinal
       (retrospective) analysis of 1554 IDU users observed in 20 German AIDS
       treatment sites for a mean time of 2.1 years (range 1 to 9.5 years; 12%
       > 5 years). A database was established including age, sex, date of first
       HIV+ serology, methadone use, clinical diagnoses, antiviral treatment,
       PcP prophylaxis, last visit, death and CD4 counts. For a total of 831
       patients sufficient data could be analysed (i.e. at least 3 visits/CD4
       counts). Grouping was performed according to baseline CD4- ranges. CD4
       slopes, survival (Kaplan Meier estimate) and group means were
       established using SPSS statistics. RESULTS: The mean age was 28 +/- 5
       years at time of HIV diagnosis. Baseline CD4 levels were 813 +/-
       339/microliter (group 1: > 500), 353 +/- 85/microliter (group 2:
       200-499), and 102 +/- 62/microliter (group 3: < 200). Average CD4 slopes
       showed a nonlinear decrease. Group 1: -120 +/- 278/12 months (15% of
       baseline), group 2: -33 +/- 144/12 months (10%), group 3: -3 +/- 128/12
       months (3%). Estimated median survival after the first HIV+ diagnosis
       (at CD4 median 487/microliter) was 9.5 years. The most frequently
       reported infections were bacterial pneumonia (n = 208, CD4 251 +/- 312),
       PcP (n = 132, CD4 97 +/- 116), candida esophagitis (n = 131, CD4 179 +/-
       326), toxoplasmosis (n = 79, CD4 68 +/- 90), pulmonary TB (n = 52, CD4
       227 +/- 220), and sepsis (n = 44, CD4 137 +/- 180). CONCLUSIONS: I. In
       this population CD4 loss is not a linear function of time but is
       dependent on baseline CD4 levels. II. On an observational basis, median
       survival of German IDU was estimated to be 9.5 years after HIV+
       diagnosis. Bacterial infections are reported early in the course.
 DE    Adult  Human  HIV Infections/COMPLICATIONS/*IMMUNOLOGY/MORTALITY
       *Leukocyte Count  Longitudinal Studies  Retrospective Studies  Substance
       Abuse, Intravenous/*COMPLICATIONS  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  Survival
       Analysis  *T4 Lymphocytes  MEETING ABSTRACT  MULTICENTER STUDY

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