Hepatitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Hepatitis, including details on hepatitis a, b, c, causes, symptoms.

Gender differences in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA and CD4 cell counts among new entrants to HIV care.

Loupa CV, Rodriguez B, McComsey G, Gripshover B, Salata RA, Valdez H, Lisgaris MV, Fulton SA, Lederman MM

Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals of Cleveland, Center for AIDS Research, Cleveland, OH, USA. ch-loupa@hol.gr

Clinic database extraction identified 806 new entrants to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care in Cleveland, OH, USA. At entry, women had higher CD4 counts and lower HIV RNA levels than men (mean, 388 vs. 310 cells/microL, and 8.94 x 10(4) vs. 1.27 x 10(5) copies/mL, respectively), but the proportion of entrants with category C illnesses, category B conditions, sexually transmitted diseases and CD4 counts < 200 microL did not differ between genders. Hepatitis B seroprevalence was higher in men (8.7% vs. 0.6%), but there was no difference in hepatitis C prevalence. Whether women in Cleveland seek HIV care earlier, or whether early markers of HIV disease differ between the genders, remains to be determined.

Published 9 March 2006 in Clin Microbiol Infect, 12(4): 389-91.
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