Objectives Some perinatally infected children do not regain normal CD4 T cell counts despite suppression of HIV-1 plasma viremia by antiretroviral therapy (ART), The frequency, severity, and significance of these discordant treatment responses remain unclear. Design We examined the persistence of CD4 lymphocytopenia despite virologic suppression (VS) in 933 children (>5 years of age) in the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Methods CD4 T-cell trajectories were examined and Kaplan Meier methods used to estimate median time to CD4 T cell count ≥ 500 cells/μL. Results After 1 year of VS, most (99%) children achieved a CD4 T cell count of ≥200 cells/μl, but CD4 T cell counts remained below 500 cells/μL after 1 and 2 years of VS in 14% and 8%. Median times to first CD4 T cell count ≥ 500 cells/μl were 1.29, 0.78, and 0.46 years for children with <200, 200–349, and 350–499 cells/μL at the start of VS. New AIDS-defining events occurred in 9 children, including 4 in the first 6 months of VS. Other infectious and HIV-related diagnoses occurred more frequently and across a wide range of CD4 counts. Conclusions ART improved CD4 counts in most children, but the time to CD4 count of ≥ 500 cells was highly dependent upon baseline immunological status. Some children did not reach a CD4 T cell count of 500 cells/μl despite 2 years of VS. AIDS defining events occurred in 1% of the population, including children in whom VS and improved CD4 T cell counts were achieved.
【저자키워드】 HIV, pediatrics, AIDS, Antiretroviral therapy, opportunistic Infections, immune reconstitution,