Characteristics of HIV-infected persons without long term disease progress and related factors in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To understand the characteristics of HIV infected persons without long term disease progress [also known as long term non-progressors (LTNPs)], and related factors in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi). Methods: Data of persons living with HIV and receiving no antiretroviral therapy in Guangxi by the end of 2016 were collected from the national HIV/AIDS comprehensive control and prevention information system of China. Results: By the end of 2016, there were 313 LTNPs in Guangxi, accounting for 2.3% of those being reported for more than 10 years, 5.4% of those being reported for more than 10 years and surviving, and 26.6% of those being reported for more than 10 years, surviving and receiving no antiretroviral therapy. Among the LTNPs, 87.2%(273) were men, 94.9% (297) were aged ≤ 40 years, 32.3% (101) were farmers, 55.6% (174) were single, divorced or widowed, 69.3% (217) were of Han ethnic group, 68.1% (213) were injecting drug users, and 52.1% (163) were from custody facilities. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that factors associated with delayed disease progression included age ≤40 years (compared with age >40 years, aOR=1.55, 95%CI: 1.31-3.12) and injection drug use (compared with sexual transmission, aOR=1.23, 95%CI: 1.10-1.74). Conclusions: A number of LTNPs existed in HIV-infected individuals in Guangxi. Further research are needed to identify the related factors, and it is necessary to conduct large sample size studies on host immunology, genetics and the virology of HIV to explore the related mechanism.

Impact of HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis co-infection on related mortality / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To understand the impact of HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) co-infectious (HIV/MTB) on related mortality in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, provide evidence for the development of a better HIV/MTB co-infection control and prevention program. Methods: A multiple cross-systems check (MCSC) approach was used to confirm the HIV/MTB co-infection individuals on data related to treatment, follow-up, epidemiological comprehensive and Tuberculosis (TB) special report system. Social demography characteristics, incidence of TB among HIV positive individuals, HIV incidence among MTB infection persons etc., were described. We compared the mortalities and related risks between HIV/MTB co-infection and mono HIV positive individuals as well as between the HIV/MTB co-infection and mono MTB infection persons, using both the Chi Square test and the Cox's proportional hazard regression model (Cox). Results: Reported data showed that the incidence of MTB co-infection in the HIV cohort was 17.72% (2 533/14 293), while HIV incidence in the TB patients was 5.57% (2 351/42 205), respectively. The mortality of HIV/MTB co-infection in the HIV/AIDS cohort was 15.16% (384/2 533) within one-year of observation and was significantly higher than the mortality (13.63%,1 603/11 760) of mono HIV positive individuals (P<0.000 1). The percentage of the HIV/AIDS death cases was 19.33% (384/1 987) who registered and died in the 2011 calendar year were caused by MTB co-infection. Among all the HIV/MTB co-infection patients who had been identified from the HIV cohort, 60.05% (1 521/2 533) had initiated ART, 15.48% (392/2 533) had been cured for TB and 27.48% (696/2 533) had been under complete TB regimen. Among the confirmed HIV/MTB cases from the TB cohort, the cure rate of TB was 19.70% (463/2 351) and the percentage of completed TB regimen was 37.26% (876/2 351). The percentage of the individuals whose CD(4)(+) T lymphocyte cells count appeared less than 200 cell/μl was 64.13% (785/1 224), upon the HIV diagnoses were made. Compared with individuals who were under mono HIV infection, the mortality risk on HIV/MTB co-infection was 1.17 times higher during the five-year observation period, then the patients with only mono MTB infection and the mortality risk in patients with HIV/MTB co-infection was 25.68 times higher under the 12-month observation period. Conclusions: Both the incidence and mortality of HIV/MTB appeared high in Guangxi, with mortality and the risk of mortality in the HIV/MTB co-infection group significantly higher than that in both the HIV mono infection and the MTB mono infections groups. Both the rate of antiretroviral treatment coverage and the cure rate of TB treatment should be increased in no time as well as the capability of early TB case-finding among people living with HIV.