Table 1. Patient characteristics.

	Placebo n = 163	Prednisolone n = 163	P value* Placebo vs. Prednisolone
Female Sex (%)	80.4	81.0	P = 0.888
Age (years as mean with S.D.)	35.27 ± 0.70	34.09 ± 0.66	P = 0.221
Body mass index (median) [IQR 25%-75%]	23.44 [20.44–26.11]	22.15 [20.55–24.70]	P = 0.119
CD4 counts (cells/μl, median) [IQR 25%-75%]	530 [395–659]	470 [397–598]	P = 0.058
females	531 [394–699]	484 [398–619.5]	P = 0.0883
males	519.5 [410.3–583.3]	447 [380–530]	P = 0.2267
P value females vs males	P = 0.2638	P = 0.3436	-
CD4/CD8 ratio (median) [IQR 25%-75%]	0.39 [0.30–0.54]	0.35 [0.26–0.54]	P = 0.0632
females	0.41 [0.31–0.57]	0.37 [0.27–0.55]	P = 0.1558
males	0.33 [0.26–0.49]	0.29 [0.20–0.71]	P = 0.1350
P value females vs males	P = 0.0387*	P = 0.0083**	-
CD4 strata ≥ 500 cells/μl (%)	57.1	44.8
CD4 strata < 500 cells/μl (%)	42.9	55.2	P = 0.0351§
≥ 500 females	57.3	46.2
< 500 females	42.7	53.8	P = 0.0844§
≥ 500 males	56.2	38.7
< 500 males	43.8	61.3	P = 0.2101§
P value females vs males	P = 1.000	P = 0.5483	-
HIV viral load** LOG10 RNA copies/ml (median) [IQR 25%-75%]	4.35 [3.60–4.81]	4.22 [3.75–4.95]	P = 0.599
females	4.33 [3.59–4.75]	4.20 [3.75–4.92]	P = 0.5542
males	4.57 [3.68–4.98]	4.38 [4.00–5.07]	P = 0.7202
P value females vs males	P = 0.3446	P = 0.3895	-
study drug dosage relative to body weight (μg/kg, median) [IQR 25%-75%]	82.0 [71.4–90.9]	84.7 [76.9–94.3]	P = 0.0535
females	84.7 [72.5–94.3]	87.7 [77.2–98.0]	P = 0.0884
males	78.8 [70.4–87.3]	80.6 [74.6–87.7]	P = 0.3753
P value of difference females vs males	P = 0.0868	P = 0.0193*	-

*) P-values were determined using Mann-Whitney U-test if not indicated otherwise.

**) Baseline HIV viral load data available from 86 (placebo) and 80 (prednisolone) study participants. Data as LOG10 of RNA copies/ml.

§) p-value calculated from chi square test for strata ≥ 500 cells/μl (%) vs < 500 cells/μl.