TABLE 3.
Definitions for Patient Baseline Characteristics in a Study of Patients Followed in an Urban HIV Clinic With Virologic Suppression on ART
| Baseline Characteristics | Definition |
|---|---|
| Study entry date | January 1, 2003 for suppressed patients or date of first HIV RNA measurement ≤400 copies/mL |
| Time since HIV diagnosis | Known or estimated time of HIV diagnosis to study entry |
| Transferred care | Whether patients previously received care at another HIV clinic |
| Baseline regimen | Regimen at the time of study entry |
| Time on baseline regimen | From start of baseline regimen to study entry; in case of staggered ART start, time measured from when the last drug was added |
| Baseline CD4 cell count | CD4 cell count at study entry or nearest known value |
| Nadir CD4 cell count | Lowest CD4 cell count at or before study entry |
| Suppressed as of January 1, 2003 | Whether subjects were known to have had a HIV RNA measurement ≤400 copies/mL on or before January 1, 2003 |
| <12 months of suppression | Whether patients were known to have had more than 12 months of suppression before study entry |
| ANC < 1000 cells/mm3 | Absolute neutrophil count <1000 cells/mm3 at study entry |
| Prior missed visit (≥1 in prior year) | Whether patients missed one or more clinic visits prior to study entry |
|
| |
| Baseline ART Regimen | Definition |
|
| |
| NRTI | A regimen containing one or more NRTIs |
| NNRTI | A regimen containing one or more NNRTIs |
| PI | A regimen containing one or more PIs |
| HCV antibody status | Positive or negative |
| Missed visit | ≥1 missed appointment in the year before study entry |
|
| |
| Prior ART Use | Definition |
|
| |
| Number of prior regimens | Naive (0), 1, 2, or ≥3 regimens; a regimen was considered to be new if 2 or more antiretrovirals in at least 2 classes had been changed |
| Prior NRTI | >7 days of prior NRTI |
| Prior NNRTI | >7 days of prior NNRTI |
| Prior PI | >7 days of prior PI |
| Prior NRTI and NNRTI | >7 days of concurrent NRTI and NNRTI |
| Prior NRTI and PI | >7 days of concurrent NRTI and PI |
| Prior NRTI, NNRTI, and PI | >7 days of concurrent NRTI, NNRTI, and PI |
ANC indicates absolute neutrophil count; ART, antiretroviral therapy; NRTI, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor; NNRTI, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor; PI, protease inhibitor.