Assessing the Benefits of Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Roy M. Gulick
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2000)

Editorials19 September 2000Assessing the Benefits of Antiretroviral TherapyRoy M. Gulick, MD, MPHRoy M. Gulick, MD, MPHWeill Medical College, Cornell University; New York, NY 10021 (Gulick)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-133-6-200009190-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Originally, CD4 lymphocyte count was the best available marker for assessing the prognosis of the HIV-infected patient (1). After assays to measure HIV RNA were developed, viral load was initially thought to be a better predictor of clinical progression (2). Later, in a much larger patient cohort, Mellors and coworkers (3) found that prognosis could best be predicted by looking at both viral load and CD4 cell count. Coffin (4) first used a powerful analogy to describe the different prognostic information provided by viral load and CD4 cell count: If HIV infection is a train traveling down a track and ...References1. Fahey JL, Taylor JM, Detels R, Hofmann B, Melmed R, Nishanian P, et al . The prognostic value of cellular and serologic markers in infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1. N Engl J Med. 1990;322:166-72. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Mellors JW, Rinaldo CR, Gupta P, White RM, Todd JA, Kingsley LA. Prognosis in HIV-1 infection predicted by quantity of virus in plasma. Science. 1996;272:1167-70. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Mellors JW, Munoz A, Giorgi JV, Margolick JB, Tassoni CJ, Gupta P, et al . Plasma viral load and CD4+ lymphocytes as prognostic markers of HIV-1 infection. Ann Intern Med. 1997;126:946-54. LinkGoogle Scholar4. Coffin JM. HIV viral dynamics. AIDS. 1996;10 Suppl 3 S75-84. MedlineGoogle Scholar5. 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Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Weill Medical College, Cornell University; New York, NY 10021 (Gulick)Note: Dr. Gulick has received research grants from Abbott, Glaxo Wellcome, Merck, and Trimeris; is an ad hoc consultant for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Glaxo Wellcome, Trimeris, and Triangle; and has received speaker honoraria from Abbott, Agouron, Glaxo Wellcome, Pharmacia & Upjohn, and Triangle.Acknowledgments: The author thanks Drs. Steven Deeks, Marshall Glesby, Scott Hammer, and John Mellors for helpful discussion.Grant Support: By the National Institutes of Health (U01 AI 46386, Columbia–Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center–Cornell AIDS Clinical Trials Unit).Corresponding Author: Roy M. Gulick, MD, MPH, Cornell Clinical Trials Unit, Division of International Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Box 566, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10021; e-mail, [email protected]cornell.edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoClinical Outcome of Patients with HIV-1 Infection according to Immunologic and Virologic Response after 6 Months of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Sophie Grabar , Vincent Le Moing , Cécile Goujard , Catherine Leport , Michel D. Kazatchkine , Dominique Costagliola , and Laurence Weiss Metrics Cited ByImpact of HAART advent on admission patterns and survival in HIV-infected patients admitted to an intensive care unitCare of the Adult Patient with HIV InfectionImpact of Adherence and Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy on Survival in HIV-Infected PatientsAntiretroviral TherapyEmerging concepts in gastrointestinal aspects of HIV-1 pathogenesis and management 19 September 2000Volume 133, Issue 6Page: 471-473KeywordsAIDSAntiretroviral therapyAntiretroviralsClinical trialsDrug therapyDrugsHIV infectionsRNAViral loadViremia ePublished: 19 September 2000 Issue Published: 19 September 2000 CopyrightCopyright © 2000 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...