CD4-Cell Count Changes After Treatment Initiation in HIV Controllers

A small proportion of HIV-infected individuals, known as HIV controllers, are able to control viral replication without antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, some of these individuals eventually require ART because of progressive CD4-cell declines, which have been shown to be related to immune activation and low-level viremia (JW AIDS Clin Care Feb 25 2008 and Sep 4 2009). How do treatment outcomes differ between HIV controllers and noncontrollers?

To answer this question, investigators reviewed data from 1127 HIV-infected, antiretroviral-naive patients who initiated combination ART between 1997 and 2008. Sixty-two of the patients were HIV controllers. These individuals tended to be younger than the noncontrollers, were more likely to be wo…