Influence of lifelong cumulative HIV viremia on long-term recovery of CD4+ cell count and CD4+/CD8+ ratio among patients on combination antiretroviral therapy

OBJECTIVE We explored the impact of lifelong cumulative HIV viremia on immunological recovery during antiretroviral therapy, according to the timing of treatment initiation. METHODS We estimated lifelong cumulative HIV viremia in patients followed in the ANRS PRIMO cohort since primary infection, including 244 patients who started treatment during PHI and had at least one treatment interruption, and 218 patients who started treatment later but with no interruptions. The impact of cumulative viremia on current immunological status was analysed using linear and logistic regression models. RESULTS At the last visit on treatment, median CD4 cell count was 645 cells/μl in the early/intermittent …