Laboratory markers and the risk of developing HIV-1 disease among injecting drug users

Objective: To characterize the progression to HIV-1 disease among injecting drug users (IDU) according to laboratory markers. Design: Prospective study of cohort of HIV-1-seroprevalent IDU, with case-comparison component. Methods: Different laboratory markers were examined as predictors of progression to HIV-1-associated diseases including AIDS in a cohort of 318 HIV-1-infected IDU. The cohort was enrolled from a methadone treatment program in the Bronx, New York, USA. The independent utility of non-CD4 cell markers was evaluated after adjustment for the association of low CD4 lymphocyte count with AIDS risk