High CD4 + T-cells Percentage and/or Low Viral Load are Predictors of 1-5 Years Survival in HIV-1 Vertically Infected Thai Children
NIRUN VANPRAPAR, M.D.*, SANAY CHEARSAKUL, M.D.*, KULKANYA CHOKEPHAIBULKIT, M.D.*, WANATPREEYA PHONGSAMART,M.D.*, RANGSIMA LOLEKHA, M.D.*
Affiliation : *Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.
Objective : Enrolling pediatric HIV children into the clinical trial of when to initiate antiretroviral therapy is a crucial ethical issue. CD4 + T-cells percentage and /or viral load were able to identify potential cases of survival through 5 years of age.
Method : HIV infected cohort from 1992 to 1994 from Children's and Siriraj Hospitals were followed from 1 through 5 years of age. The outcome was survival or death. The predictors were CD4 percentage and viral load (without age and clinical status adjustment). Result : 16 of 35 (45.71%) of the cohort survived through 5 years of age. The probability of survival increased to almost 100 per cent either with CD4 + T-cells percentage of over 22 or viral load of less than 500,000.
Keywords : CD4 + T-cells Percentage, Viral Load, HIV-Infected Children, Survival
