Table 1.

Characteristics of study cohort

Group	Number of patients	Age (years)	Gender	CD4+ T cell count* (cells/μl)	Viral load* (HIV RNA copies/ml)	Years since diagnosis
	(n)	(Mean and range)	(% female)	(Median and IQR)	(Median and IQR)	(Median and IQR)
ECs	23	48 (27–66)	78.2	693 (588 – 969)	<20	15 (8–16)
VCs	37	42 (27–59)	91.9	704 (587 – 910)	598 (135 – 1180)	8 (8–15)
HVL LTNPs	11	43 (33–53)	81.8	660 (606 – 749)	22 410 (14 262 – 77 820)	8 (8–11)
Progressors	74	45 (30–73)	83.8	177 (145 – 210)	38 444 (19 790 – 103 314)	6 (1–7)

^*CD4⁺ T cell counts and viral loads of controllers used were from time of enrolment whereas for the progressors the last CD4 T cell count and viral load prior to ART initiation was used

ECs: elite controllers, VCs: viraemic controllers, HVL LTNPs: high viral load long-term non-progressors