Document 0381
 DOCN  M9590381
 TI    The role of initial AIDS-defining illness in survival following AIDS.
 DT    9509
 AU    Luo K; Law M; Kaldor JM; McDonald AM; Cooper DA; National Centre in HIV
       Epidemiology and Clinical Research,; Sydney.
 SO    Annu Conf Australas Soc HIV Med. 1994 Nov 3-6;6:108 (unnumbered
       abstract). Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ASHM6/95291718
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To examine the role of initial AIDS-defining illness and
       trends over time in survival following AIDS. METHODS: Survival was
       calculated for all adult and adolescent AIDS cases (N = 3204) in
       Australia diagnosed through 1 November 1991 and reported to the National
       AIDS Registry by 31 March 1994. The Cox regression method was used to
       identify independent predictors of survival. RESULTS: Age under 50, a
       CD4+ cell count > 100 cells/microliter and an initial diagnosis of
       Kaposi's sarcoma were independently associated with longer survival (P <
       0.05), while acquisition of HIV infection through blood transfusion and
       non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as an initial AIDS-defining illness were
       significantly associated with shorter survival (P < 0.05). Survival
       improved substantially from 1986 to 1987, but did not improve further
       thereafter. A further study of initial AIDS-defining illness in a
       subgroup of cases, namely men aged less than 50 years at diagnosis who
       acquired HIV infection through homosexual or bisexual contact and were
       diagnosed after 1987, showed that Kaposi's sarcoma, Pneumocystis carinii
       pneumonia, oesophageal candidiasis and herpes simplex virus as initial
       AIDS-defining illnesses had a relatively better prognosis than other
       single illnesses, independently of the CD4+ cell count at AIDS
       diagnosis. Furthermore, cases with multiple illnesses did not have a
       worse prognosis than cases with a single illness, provided all the
       illnesses were in the better prognosis category. CONCLUSIONS: Initial
       AIDS-defining illness, as well as HIV exposure, age, year and CD4+ cell
       count at AIDS diagnosis, plays an important role in survival following
       AIDS in Australia.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/DIAGNOSIS/*MORTALITY/  TRANSMISSION
       Adolescence  Adult  AIDS-Related Opportunistic
       Infections/DIAGNOSIS/MORTALITY  Cause of Death  Female  Follow-Up
       Studies  Human  Lymphoma, AIDS-Related/DIAGNOSIS/MORTALITY  Male  Middle
       Age  New South Wales/EPIDEMIOLOGY  *Population Surveillance  Sarcoma,
       Kaposi's/DIAGNOSIS/MORTALITY  Survival Rate  MEETING ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
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