1993 revised classification system for HIV infection and expanded surveillance case definition for AIDS among adolescents and adults

Article Abstract:

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have added several criteria to the classification system for HIV infection in both adolescents and adults. Inclusion of these criteria acknowledges the importance of CD4+ T-cell counts, or measurement of blood levels of T-cells, in the classification of different HIV-related conditions. T-cells are the cells of the immune system infected by the HIV virus and are involved in different aspects of the immune response. Patients are placed in different categories depending on their T-cell count. These categories identify the level of immunodeficiency and serve as a treatment guide for HIV-infected individuals. Treatment also depends on the presence or absence of other medical conditions. The new criteria include three new conditions: invasive cervical cancer, pulmonary (lung) tuberculosis and recurrent pneumonia.

Standards, AIDS (Disease), Disease reporting, United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Are Surrogate Markers Adequate to Assess Cardiovascular Disease Drugs?

Article Abstract:

Doctors may need to find alternate ways of determining the long-term safety of drugs. Ideally, most clinical trials of drugs to treat heart disease should follow the patients until they die. However, this would be so time-consuming and costly that most doctors use surrogate end points. These are usually physiological measurements such as blood cholesterol levels. If the drug lowers cholesterol levels, doctors assume it will also lower mortality rates from heart disease. In some cases, surrogate end points have been very useful while in other cases, they have not. And a short-term trial that uses surrogate end points cannot effectively test the drug's safety.

Methods, Evaluation, Drugs, Cardiovascular diseases, Clinical trials, Drug therapy, Drug evaluation

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Surrogate markers of progressive HIV disease

Article Abstract:

The DATTA panelists consider the total CD4 lymphocyte count and the ratio of the CD4 lymphocytes to the total white blood cell count to be the only reliable predictors of HIV progression. There is not enough evidence to recommend beta2-microglobulin, neopterin, or p24 antigen levels as predictors of HIV progression.

Development and progression

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