CD4 Cell Count and HIV DNA Level Are Independent Predictors of Disease Progression after Primary HIV Type 1 Infection in Untreated Patients

Background. Treatment initiation at the time of primary human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 (HIV-1) infection has become less frequent in recent years. Methods. In the French prospective PRIMO Cohort, in which patients are enrolled at the time of primary HIV-1 infection, 30% of the 552 patients recruited during 1996–2004 did not start receiving antiretroviral treatment during the first 3 months after diagnosis. We analyzed the patients' clinical and immunological outcomes and examined potential predictors of disease progression. Progression was defined as the occurrence of an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)—related clinical event or a CD4 cell count