Mediterranean Journal of Hematology and Infectious Diseases (Oct 2015)

DEMOGRAPHICAL, VIRO-IMMUNOLOGICAL, CLINICAL AND THERAPEUTICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF HIV INFECTED PATIENTS IN A “EPIDEMIOLOGICALLY UNEXPLORED” REGION OF ITALY (CALABRIA REGION): THE CALABRHIV COHORT.

  • Maria Concetta Postorino,
  • Filippo Luciani,
  • Carmelo Mangano,
  • Maria Stella Carpentieri,
  • Paolo Scerbo,
  • Armando Priamo,
  • Giuseppina Berardelli,
  • Roberto Marino,
  • Alfredo Vallone,
  • Nicola Serrao,
  • Vincenzo Pisani,
  • Chiara Costa,
  • Albano Terremoto,
  • Giuseppe Foti,
  • Lucio Cosco,
  • Massimo Calderazzo,
  • Domenico Corigliano,
  • Preziosa Scordo,
  • Carlo Torti,
  • Alessio Strazzulla

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4084/mjhid.2015.054
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. e2015054 – e2015054

Abstract

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Background and Objectives HIV epidemics may differ among epidemiological contexts. We aimed at constructing an HIV clinical cohort whose main epidemiological, clinical and therapeutical characteristics are described (the CalabrHIV cohort, Calabria Region, Southern Italy). Methods The CalabrHIV cohort includes all HIV patients on active follow-up in all infectious disease centers in the Calabria Region as at October 2014. All information were recorded in a common electronic database. Not-infectious co-morbidities (such as cardiovascular diseases, bone fractures, diabetes, renal failure and hypertension) were also studied. Results 548 patients (68% males; 63% aged 50 years-old patients than in <50 years-old ones (30% vs. 6%; p<0.0001). Co-morbidity was more frequent in HCV and/or HBV co-infected than in HIV mono-infected patients (46.6% vs. 31.7%: p=0.0006). Conclusion This cohort presentation study sheds light, for the first time, on HIV patients’ characteristics in the Calabria Region. Despite a small number of officially reported cases, the size of the cohort was substantial. We showed that HIV infected patients with chronic hepatites, were affected by concomitant not-infectious co-morbidities more than the HIV mono-infected individuals. New HCV treatments are eagerly awaited.

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