Long-term clinical benefit after highly active antiretroviral therapy in advanced HIV-1 infection, even in patients without immune reconstitution

Our objective was to assess, in the clinical setting, the predictors of immune reconstitution (IR) and its relation with long-term clinical benefit, in HIV patients with advanced disease after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) through an observational study. A retrospective cohort study in a clinical setting of 383 consecutive adult patients with advanced HIV infection (CD4+ cells 200 cells/mm3 and an increase ≥100 cells from baseline, anytime since starting HAART. Clinical benefit was defined as decreased mortality and reduction in AIDS-defining events, AIDS-related complex (ARC) events, major infections and hospitalization (days spent in hospital). During a mean follow-up of 808 days, 261 patients (68.1%) achieved IR. About 50% of these patients reached this result within one year after starting HAART. In multivariate analysis, predictors of immu...