Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Participants
| Characteristic | Placebo group | Valganciclovir group |
| (n = 16) | (n = 14) | |
| Age, years | 50 (44–59) | 48 (43–55) |
| Male sex, no. (%) | 16 (100) | 12 (86) |
| ART regimen, no. (%) | ||
| PI-based | 11 (69) | 11 (79) |
| NNRTI-based | 3 (19) | 2 (14) |
| NRTIs only | 2 (13) | 1 (7) |
| Duration of ART regimen, months | 27 (17–35) | 28 (16–40) |
| Self-reported ART adherence past 30 days, % | 100 (96–100) | 100 (96–100) |
| CD4+ T cell count, cells/mm3 | 187 (108–218) | 207 (176–249) |
| Self-reported CD4 count nadir, cells/mm3 | 64 (20–114) | 18 (8–54) |
| Plasma HIV RNA level, copies/mL, no. (%) | ||
| <75 | 11 (69) | 10 (71) |
| ≥75 | 5 (31) | 4 (29) |
| HSV-2 seropositive, no. (%) | 10 (63) | 12 (86) |
| Currently taking acyclovir, no. (%) | 6 (38) | 5 (36) |
| Estimated creatinine clearance, mL/min | 85 (73–101) | 94 (82–108) |
| Absolute neutrophil count, ×103 cells/mm3 | 2.2 (1.9–3.3) | 2.9 (1.9–3.5) |
| Hemoglobin, mg/dL | 14.6 (13.3–15.2) | 14.4 (13.4–15.4) |
| Platelet count, ×103/mm3 | 215 (178–270) | 255 (223–304) |