Abstract

Objective: The primary aim of the study was to analyze the changes in time in HIV care and management and virologic success rates. The secondary aims were to analyze the epidemiological features, clinical and laboratory findings, and factors affecting survival. 

Methods: HIV-infected individuals aged ≥ 18 years presenting to our clinic between January 1996 and December 2015 were included. Data were collected retrospectively from medical records, and two decades (1996-2005 and 2006-2015) were analyzed.

Results: Overall, 80% were male; the median age (min; max) was 36.43 (17; 77) years. Patients with stage 3 disease were significantly higher in the first decade compared to the second decade (p=0.00). The median (min; max) CD4⁺ T lymphocyte count at baseline was 160 (3; 650) and 355 (0; 1800) cells/mm³ in the first and second decades, respectively (p=0.00). The treatment initiation rate was 94.2%; virologic suppression rates at six months of treatment and throughout the total follow-up time were 70.1% and 78.1%, respectively. The difference between the two decades in virologic suppression was significant (p=0.004). AIDS-defining disease developed in 12.9% (52.6% in the first and 11% in the second decade) (p=0.01). The adverse event rate was 60.8%; hyperlipidemia was the most common (60.2%). The death rate was 6.5% and lymphoma (14.3%) and tuberculosis (10.9%) were the most common causes of death. The estimated survival time was 272 months (95% confidence interval 225-320). The inability to achieve virologic suppression, an AIDS-defining disease, and a baseline CD4⁺ T lymphocyte count <200 cells/mm³ was inversely correlated with survival time.

Conclusion: Significant improvements in HIV care and management were recorded in time in our cohort in line with the improvements in global HIV care. Treatment and viral suppression rates were above the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS – UNAIDS  90-90-90 target in the second decade. This may be attributed to the recent developments in antiretroviral treatment and the competence of the HIV team in the Aegean University Medical Faculty Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Department.