Symptomatic HIV seroconverting illness is associated with more rapid neurological impairment
- M R Wallace1,
- J A Nelson2,
- J A McCutchan2,
- T Wolfson2,
- I Grant2,3,
- for the HNRC Group
- 1Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA, USA
- 2University of California at San Diego, CA, USA
- 3San Diego VA Healthcare System, CA, USA
- Clinical Investigation Department, Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Drive, Suite 5, San Diego, CA 92134-1005, USAmrwallace{at}nmcsd.med.navy.mil
- Accepted 8 March 2001
Abstract
Objectives: To establish whether symptomatic seroconverting illness in HIV infected people is associated with more rapid development of neurological impairment.
Methods: 166 HIV infected subjects with a known date of HIV infection enrolled in a longitudinal study of neurocognitive function were stratified by whether or not they had experienced a symptomatic serconverting illness.
Results: 29 of 166 (17.5%) dated HIV seroconverters had a history of symptomatic seroconverting illness. Though baseline neurocognitive function was similar, subjects with a symptomatic seroconverting illness developed clinical neurocognitive impairment significantly more rapidly than their asymptomatic counterparts in a survival analysis model (636 v 1075 days till impaired).
Conclusion: Symptomatic seroconverting illness predisposes to more rapid neurocognitive impairment.
