[Analysis of the influential factors of late diagnosis among newly identified HIV/AIDS cases in Anhui Province, 2011-2015]

Long-term effect of antiretroviral therapy on mortality among HIV-positive children and adolescents in China

Introduction

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was piloted in 2002 and was scaled up in 2003 in mainland China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mortality and its possible predictors based on the long-term initial antiretroviral therapy (ART) cohort among HIV positive children and adolescents.

Methods

This prospective open-labeled multicenter cohort study was conducted from January 2008 to July 2021. The participants were recruited from six representative sites in mainland China. A total of 609 participants with an HIV-positive serostatus and <18 years old were recruited and each participant was informed consent at the time of enrollment. Mortality and annual hazard were calculated, and predictors for death were analyzed using Cox regression models generating hazard ratios (HR).

Results

The results showed that the mortality was 0.721 per hundred person-years, and the annual hazard was less than 0.10 over time. Both CD4+T cell count and CD4+T cell percentage declined in the death group during the follow-up. The Cox regression model showed that the baseline low CD4+T cell count level (Low vs. High: aHR = 8.309, 95% CI: (1.093, 63.135)) and age >5 years old at HIV diagnosis (6-12 vs. 0-5: aHR = 3.140, 95%CI: (1.331, 27.411)); 13-18 vs. 0-5: aHR = 5.451, 95%CI: (1.434, 20.724)) were possible risk factors for death.

Conclusion

The longitudinal cohort study demonstrated the efficacy of China's ART program among HIV-positive children and adolescents which could be beneficial to other countries with limited resources.

HIV/AIDS late presentation and its associated factors in China from 2010 to 2020: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Late presentation to HIV/AIDS care presents serious health concerns, like increased transmission and high healthcare costs, increased mortality, early development of opportunistic infection, increased risk of antiretroviral therapy drug resistance. Despite the effort to contain the HIV/AIDS epidemic, LP has remained an impediment to individual immune reconstitution and public health.

OBJECTIVE

This review aimed to estimate the prevalence and determine the factors associated with late presentation to HIV/AIDS care.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Wanfang, and Weipu database for articles published from 2010 to 2020. We utilized I2 statistics and Q-test to estimate heterogeneity between studies. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to calculate the aggregate odds ratio of late presentation to HIV/AIDS care.

RESULTS

Of 9563 titles and abstracts retrieved, 189 were identified as potentially eligible and 39 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of late presentation to HIV/AIDS care was 43.26%. The major risk factors were patients ≥ 50 years old (OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.85-2.58; I2 = 97.44%), married (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.35-1.68; I2 = 96.58%), with heterosexual contact as risk factor for infection (OR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.73-2.11; I2 = 90.74%) and diagnosed in medical institutions (OR = 2.35,95% CI: 2.11-2.62; I2 = 96.05%). In middle or low HIV prevalence areas, patients ≥ 50 years old (P = 0.01), married (P < 0.01) and diagnosed in medical institutions (P = 0.01) were more likely to be presented late than in high prevalence areas. From 2016-2020, the OR of patients who were married and diagnosed in medical facilities were significantly lower than before (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Patients ≥ 50 years old, married, with heterosexual contact as risk factor for infection, and diagnosed in medical institutions were risk factors of LP. Gender had no significant relationship with LP. In middle or low prevalence areas, patients who were ≥ 50 years old, married, and diagnosed in medical institutions were more likely to be presented late than in other areas. Married patients and those diagnosed in medical institutions after 2015 have a lower risk of LP than before.

The associations of population mobility in HIV disease severity and mortality rate in China

Background

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has become a chronic disease and attracted public attention globally. Population migration was considered hindering the control and management of HIV infection, but limited studies have explored how population mobility could influence the development of HIV-related complications and overall prognosis.

Methods

We enrolled hospitalized HIV patients in this cross-sectional study between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2016. We extracted demographic, hospitalization, and patient diagnosis data. Patients were divided into three groups according to the population type: (I) resident of Guangzhou City (local resident); (II) migrant outside of Guangzhou City but within Guangdong Province (migrant within the province); and (III) migrant outside of Guangdong Province (migrant outside the province). To represent the prognosis of HIV, in-hospital death was defined as the worst outcome, whereas vision-related events were considered moderate-to-severe complications. Logistic regression models were used to analyze factors influencing the prognosis of HIV.

Results

Eight thousand and six hundred thirty-one inpatients (14,954 cases) were enrolled. The overall mortality was 7.9%, decreasing from 21.5% in 2006 to 3.8% in 2016. The prevalence of vision-related events was 14.4% between 2015 and 2016. Compared to local patients, migrant patients (within and outside the province) were younger, had significantly less access to health insurance, fewer hospitalization admissions, longer hospital stays, and a higher proportion of physical work (P<0.01). Furthermore, they had a higher prevalence of vision-related events (16.2% and 17.4% in migrant patients within the province and outside the province, respectively vs. 9.5%) and infectious diseases, but lower in-hospital mortality (5.9% and 7.0% vs. 12.3%) than local patients. Migrants correlated negatively with in-hospital death [odds ratio (OR) 95% CI, 0.37 (0.29–0.48) and 0.52 (0.40–0.68)] but correlated positively with vision-related events [OR (95% CI), 2.08 (1.54–2.80) and 2.03 (1.47–2.80)].

Conclusions

Migrant patients have significantly poorer access to health insurance, with an increased risk of developing moderate-to-severe HIV infection but a decreased risk of in-hospital death, indicating a trend toward withdrawing treatment in migrant patients when they have advanced diseases. Managements such as optimizing access to health insurance and improving follow-up visits for HIV infection should be considered in the context of the population mobility of HIV patients.