. 2014 Jan 24;11:10. doi: 10.1186/1742-6405-11-10

Table 1.

Study group classifications according to changes in the DHHS guidelines for initiation of antiretroviral therapy in chronically-infected HIV patients¹

Group	1998-2000	2001	2002-2004	2005-2007	2008-2009
A	• AIDS-defining condition	• AIDS-defining condition	• AIDS-defining condition	• AIDS-defining condition	• AIDS-defining condition
	• Severe symptoms	• Severe symptoms	• Severe symptoms	• Severe symptoms	• Severe symptoms
	• Severe symptoms	• CD4⁺ <200	• CD4⁺ <200	• CD4⁺ <200	• CD4⁺ <200
B	• CD4⁺ <500	• CD4⁺ >200 but ≤350	• CD4⁺ >200 but ≤350	• CD4⁺ >200 but ≤350	• CD4⁺ >200 but ≤350
B	• VL >10,000 (bDNA) or >20,000 (RT-PCR)	• CD4⁺ >200 but ≤350	• CD4⁺ >200 but ≤350	• CD4⁺ >200 but ≤350	• CD4⁺ >200 but ≤350
C	• Elective decision	• VL >30,000 (bDNA) or >55,000 (RT-PCR)	• VL >55,000 (bDNA or RT-PCR)	• VL >100,000 (RT-PCR)	• CD4⁺ >350
		• CD4⁺ >350	• CD4⁺ >350	• CD4⁺ >350	• Other elective decision
		• Other elective decision	• Other elective decision	• Other elective decision

¹Guideline statements of “some would treat” were interpreted as indicating the elective nature of this decision. Therefore viral load was not included as a Group B criterion after 2000.