Gender differences in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA and CD4 cell counts among new entrants to HIV care

Abstract

Clinic database extraction identified 806 new entrants to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care in Cleveland, OH, USA. At entry, women had higherCD4 counts and lower HIVRNAlevels than men (mean, 388 vs. 310 cells/μL, and 8.94 × 104 vs. 1.27 × 105 copies/mL, resectively), but the proportion of entrants with category C illnesses, category B conditions, sexually transmitted diseases and CD4 counts <200 μL did not differ between genders. Hepatitis B seroprevalence was higher in men (8.7% vs. 0.6%), but there was no difference in hepatitis C prevalence. Whether women in Cleveland seek HIV care earlier, or whether early markers of HIV disease differ between the genders, remains to be determined. © Copyright by the 2006 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.