PJP Risk High Among Patients With Low CD4+ Cell Counts At HIV Diagnosis, Study Finds

Infectious Disease Advisor (6/13, Nye) reported a study found that “although combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has reduced the overall burden of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in patients with HIV, PJP continues to pose a significant risk during the first year of treatment for those with low CD4+ cell counts.” Researchers observed that “a majority of patients with PJP (76.8%) developed the infection within the first 3 months of HIV diagnosis. The investigators noted the magnitude of risk was associated with baseline CD4+ count, as PJP incidence in the first year after HIV diagnosis was higher in patients with vs without low baseline counts.” The risk for PJP decreased throughout the study period, with researchers noting that “when stratified by baseline CD4+ count, the risk among patients with low counts in the first year after HIV diagnosis was reduced in the later calendar period relative to the earlier calendar period. In contrast, no significant change in risk was observed in this group across other calendar periods.” The study was published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.