Table 1. Baseline Characteristics by Study Group.

Variables	Total (N=231)	Zinc Group (N=115)	Placebo Group (N=116)	p-Value
Age, mean ± SD, years	42.7 (7.0)	42.5(7.1)	42.8(7.0)	p=0.73
Ethnicity:
Black	77%	78%	76%	p=0.44
White, Non-Hispanic	13%	12%	13%
White, Hispanic	7%	7%	7%
Other	3%	3%	4%
Gender:
Male	73.2%	72.2%	74.1%	p=0.74
Female	26.8%	27.8%	25.9%
Socioeconomic status mean ± SD
Family monthly income	$326.4(630.6)	$402.8(829.0)	$249.3(311.4)	p=0.066
Highest grade attained, years	11.1(3.0)	11.4(2.7)	10.8(3.3)	p=0.092
HIV disease stage classification
Asymptomatic	28.57%	29.57%	27.59%	p=0.87
Symptomatic	37.66%	36.52%	38.79%
AIDS	33.77%	33.91%	33.62%
CD4 cell count stratification
1. <200 cells/mm3 (%)	33.8%	33.9%	33.6%	p=0.703
2. 200 to 350 cells/mm3 (%)	21.6%	19.1%	24.1%
3. >350 cells/mm3 (%)	44.6%	47%	42.3%
Years since HIV disease was diagnosed, mean ± SD	10.1(8.7)	9.5(6.0)	10.8(10.9)	p=0.30
Antiretroviral (ART) Use
On ART regimen	(144/231)=62.3%	(68/115)=59.1%	(76/116)=65.5%	p=0.104
Not on ART	(87/231)=37.7%	(47/115)=40.9%	(40/116)=34.5%
HIV ART with undetectable viral load	29.9%	32.4%	27.6%	p=0.54
HCV seropositive, %	25.1%	21.7%	28.5%	p=0.24
Total No. of Changes* and % changes in Antiretroviral treatment during the study	N=181	N=97	N=84	p=0.7
	18.1%	18.7%	17.5%
Cocaine use, abuse or dependence, %	29.9%	28.7%	31.0%	p=0.70
Other drug abuse %	69.7%	69.6%	69.8%	p=0.97
Alcohol use %	54.6%	51.3%	57.8%	p=0.33
Cigarette use %	82.6%	80%	85.2%	p=0.30
CD4+ cell count, mean ± SD, cells/uL	373.1(279.7)	385.3 (285.1)	360.9 (275.0)	p=0.51
Log10 HIV-1 viral load, mean ± SD	4.0(1.0)	4.0(1.0)	4.0(1.1)	p=0.83
Serum zinc, mean ± SD, mg/L	0.6 (0.1)	0.6(0.1)	0.7(0.2)	p=0.61

^*Changes include initiation, discontinuation, intermittent use and switches in antiretrovirals.