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Biomedical subjects

L I Gardner

Publications and source records attributed to L I Gardner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Predictors of HIV-1 disease progression in early- and late-stage patients: the U.S. Army Natural History Cohort. Military Medical Consortium for Applied Retrovirology.

HIV-infected individuals in both early and late stages of HIV disease were evaluated over 2 years to assess temporal trends and determinants of disease progression. The Walter Reed (WR) staging system was used to categorize patients into an early-stage cohort (WR Stages 1 and 2, N = 1183) and a late-stage cohort (WR Stage 5, N = 260) based on the initial clinical evaluation. Progression was defined as the occurrence of Stage 5 disease or beyond for the early cohort and Stage 6 disease or beyond for the late cohort. The cumulative incidence of progression was 15.7% (137 events) for the early-stage cohort, and 53.7% (85 events) for the late-stage cohort. Baseline CD4+ T lymphocyte (T4) count was the most significant marker of progression: 26% of WR Stage 1 or 2 patients with T4 lymphocytes below 500/mm3 progressed, compared with 12% with T4 lymphocytes at or above 500/mm3. In late-stage individuals, 83% with T4 lymphocytes under 200/mm3 progressed, compared with 27% with T4 lymphocytes at or above 200/mm3. Older age was associated with progression in both early- and late-stage groups. Differences in the rates of disease progression were not significant between blacks and whites or between men and women. Two-year rates of progression among the late-stage patients dropped from 78 to 47% between 1986 and 1988. This contrasted with progression rates in the early-stage cohort, which remained stable: 18% for those entering follow-up in 1986 and 17% for those entering follow-up in 1988. These data indicate a significant slowing of HIV disease progression rates and mortality rates among individuals with late-stage disease that is temporally associated with the increased availability and use of therapies. With control of T4 lymphocyte count, age, and calendar time, neither gender nor race was significantly associated with progression in either early- or late-stage patients.

Adolescent

The effect of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 antibody status on military applicant aptitude test scores.

The authors conducted a population-based study to attempt to estimate the effect of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) seropositivity on Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test scores in otherwise healthy individuals with early HIV-1 infection. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is a 10-test written multiple aptitude battery administered to all civilian applicants for military enlistment prior to serologic screening for HIV-1 antibodies. A total of 975,489 induction testing records containing both Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and HIV-1 results from October 1985 through March 1987 were examined. An analysis data set (n = 7,698) was constructed by choosing five controls for each of the 1,283 HIV-1-positive cases, matched on five-digit ZIP code, and a multiple linear regression analysis was performed to control for demographic and other factors that might influence test scores. Years of education was the strongest predictor of test scores, raising an applicant's score on a composite test nearly 0.16 standard deviation per year. The HIV-1-positive effect on the composite score was -0.09 standard deviation (99% confidence interval -0.17 to -0.02). Separate regressions on each component test within the battery showed HIV-1 effects between -0.39 and +0.06 standard deviation. The two Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery component tests felt a priori to be the most sensitive to HIV-1-positive status showed the least decrease with seropositivity. Much of the variability in test scores was not predicted by either HIV-1 serostatus or the demographic and other factors included in the model. There appeared to be little evidence of a strong HIV-1 effect.

Aptitude Tests

Trends of HIV seroconversion among young adults in the US Army, 1985 to 1989. US Army Retrovirus Research Group.

Because soldiers in the US Army are recurrently tested for the presence of antibody to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), HIV seroconversion rates can be directly measured. From November 1985 through October 1989, 429 HIV seroconversions were detected among 718,780 soldiers who contributed 1,088,447 person-years of follow-up time (HIV seroconversion rate, 0.39 per 1000 person-years). Period-specific seroconversion rates declined significantly from 0.49 per 1000 person-years (November 1985 through October 1987) to 0.33 per 1000 person-years (November 1987 through October 1988) to 0.29 per 1000 person-years (November 1988 through October 1989). The HIV seroconversion risk among active-duty soldiers was significantly associated with race/ethnic group, age, gender, and marital status. Based on these trends, we estimate that approximately 220 soldiers (95% confidence interval, 160 to 297 soldiers) were infected with HIV during 1989 and 1990, with potentially fewer in future years.

Adolescent

Inpatient morbidity among HIV-infected male soldiers prior to their diagnosis of HIV infection.

BACKGROUND: A natural history study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease was carried out among 1575 HIV-infected US Army men and 6220 demographically similar uninfected soldiers. Inpatient morbidity occurring up to 8 years prior to the date of HIV infection diagnosis among those men who became HIV infected was evaluated for both groups. METHODS: Incidence density rates were calculated for hospital admissions. Poisson regression was used to assess the trend in hospital admissions among those subsequently diagnosed with HIV infection. Prevalence ratios for discharge diagnoses were also calculated. RESULTS: Sixteen diagnoses/diagnosis categories occurred statistically more frequently among subsequently HIV diagnosed individuals than among those who remained uninfected. Among these were hepatitis B and abscess of anal/rectal region (6 to 8 years prior to HIV infection diagnosis); unspecified viral infection, enlarged lymph nodes, syphilis (3 to 5 years prior to HIV infection diagnosis); and diagnoses suggestive of acute retroviral syndrome (1 to 2 years prior to HIV infection diagnosis). CONCLUSIONS: Data such as these may provide useful information to HIV surveillance efforts regarding patterns of morbidity experienced prior to HIV infection as well as to health care providers regarding patients at high risk for becoming infected with HIV.

Adult

The dynamics of CD4+ T-lymphocyte decline in HIV-infected individuals: a Markov modeling approach.

We modeled the decline of CD4+ T-lymphocytes (T4 cells) in HIV-infected individuals with a continuous-time Markov process. The model partitions the HIV infection period into six progressive T4-cell count intervals (states), followed by a seventh state: a definitive HIV-infection end point, i.e., AIDS diagnosis or Walter Reed stage 6 (opportunistic infections). The Markov model was used to estimate the state-specific progression rates from data as functions of important progression cofactors. We applied the model to data on 1,796 HIV-positive individuals in the U.S. Army. The estimated mean waiting time from seroconversion to when the T4-cell count persistently drops below 500/mm3, but is greater than 349/mm3, is 4.1 years, and the waiting time to a T4-cell count of less than 200/mm3 is estimated at 8.0 years. The estimated rate of T4-cell decline was higher for HIV-infected individuals with initially high numbers of T4 cells, but the estimated rate of decline remains relatively uniform when the T4-cell count dropped persistently below 500/mm3. The opportunistic infection incubation period, i.e., the time from seroconversion to opportunistic infection diagnosis, is estimated at 9.6 years. Age is found to be an important cofactor. The estimated mean opportunistic infection incubation periods are 11.1, 10.0, and 8.9 years for the youngest (less than or equal to 25 years old), the middle (26-30 years old), and the oldest (greater than 30 years old) age groups, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

HIV infection among members of the Army Reserve components residing in New York City.

A total of 10,722 members of the US Army Reserve and Army National Guard residing within the five boroughs of New York City (NYC) were tested for antibody to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The crude prevalence in NYC was found to be 10.6 per 1,000, compared with a national prevalence of 1.6 per 1,000. The highest prevalences were found among Blacks and Hispanics, males, and among those aged 30-39 years. Patterns of infection were found to be similar to those found among heterosexual and drug abusing populations. Prevalence was highest in the Bronx and varied by less than twofold over all boroughs. Comparisons with reported cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in New York City indicated differences in the demographic and geographic characteristics of the current epidemic of AIDS and HIV infection among members of the Army Reserve components.

Adult

Human immunodeficiency virus infections in teenagers. Seroprevalence among applicants for US military service. The Walter Reed Retrovirus Research Group.

Between October 15, 1985, and March 31, 1989, serum specimens from 1 141 164 teenaged youths (aged less than 20 years) who applied for entry into the US military were tested for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus. Overall, 393 teenaged applicants were found to be seropositive (prevalence, 0.34 per 1000). Prevalences varied markedly in different geographic locales: less than 0.1 per 1000 throughout the north-central states, compared with greater than 2 per 1000 in urban counties in Maryland, Texas, New York, and the District of Columbia. Overall, rates among teenaged males (345/991 445; prevalence, 0.35 per 1000) and teenaged females (48/150 013; prevalence, 0.32 per 1000) were comparable. The prevalence among black teenaged applicants (1.06 per 1000) was greater than that among white (0.18 per 1000) or Hispanic (0.31 per 1000) teenaged applicants. Infections with the human immunodeficiency virus are not rare among teenaged Americans.

Adolescent

A factor contained in plasma is required for IGF binding protein-1 to potentiate the effect of IGF-I on smooth muscle cell DNA synthesis.

One of the forms of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding proteins present in human amniotic fluid has been shown to potentiate the growth-promoting effect of IGF-I markedly. This study was undertaken to determine the cellular and hormonal factors that modulate this potentiation and to determine whether this protein would potentiate the effects of other mitogens. Although the combination of the IGFBP-1 (20 ng/ml) and IGF-I (10 ng/ml) induced a five- to sixfold increase in DNA synthesis compared with IGF-I alone, this response required the simultaneous addition of IGF-I with 0.1% platelet-poor plasma (PPP). If PPP was omitted from the incubation medium, no increase above the effect that was obtained with IGF-I alone was noted. Substitution of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for PPP permitted a full mitogenic response, although substitution with amniotic fluid resulted in no enhancement. The factor contained in PPP was heat and acid stable. If the binding protein was co-incubated with fibroblast growth factor (FGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), or epidermal growth factor (EGF), a slight inhibition of the cellular response to each of these factors was detected. Co-incubation of IGF-I with the IGF-binding protein plus these other peptide growth factors resulted in no further enhancement of DNA synthesis above the level observed with IGF-I and the binding protein alone. Likewise, addition of plasma proteins such as transferrin or albumin did not result in a further enhancement of the DNA synthesis response to IGF-I plus binding protein, and these proteins could not substitute for PPP or IGFBP-1. Transient exposure of the cultures (2 hr) to the binding protein plus IGF-I resulted in a submaximal DNA synthesis response, and the binding protein had to be present continuously to achieve a maximal effect. These studies indicate that a factor contained in plasma and CSF is required for a maximal cellular response to IGFBP-1 plus IGF-I, and this factor does not appear to be a well-defined mitogen.

Animals

Tracking the spread of the HIV infection epidemic among young adults in the United States: results of the first four years of screening among civilian applicants for U.S. military service.

Because the period from infection to clinically apparent disease is long, variable, and changing as new therapies are developed and applied, AIDS data are inadequate for tracking current values of critical parameters of HIV infection epidemics: prevalence of infection, rate of acquisition of new infections (incidence rate), and direction and rate of change of infection incidence over time (acceleration). These "vital signs" of infection epidemics can be tracked using serial cross-sectional seroprevalence data, however. From October 1985 through September 1989, more than 2.3 million applicants for U.S. military service were screened for antibody to HIV. The overall seroprevalence was 1.31 per 1,000 (3,014/2,300,675). Seroprevalences were highest near urban centers of the AIDS epidemic and were independently associated with age, race/ethnicity, and gender. Based on age seroprevalence trends, it was crudely estimated that at least one of 2,000 young men and one of 7,000 young women are infected with HIV annually in the U.S. Infection incidence rates, estimated from age and temporal trends, were estimated to be highest among black males (1.40/1,000/year) and lowest among white females (0.03/1,000/year). Poisson regression analysis of seroprevalence trends suggested that infection incidence rates accelerated among black females during the first 3 years of screening. Since selection factors undoubtedly changed over the period, estimates based on these data probably underestimate actual values in the general population, particularly near urban AIDS epicenters. Nonetheless, even crude estimates of these critical values, particularly among adolescents and young adults, are useful to guide policy development, to allocate resources, and to monitor program effects.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Evidence for spread of the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic into low prevalence areas of the United States.

Reports of an increased proportion of AIDS cases occurring in small and medium-sized cities suggest that the HIV epidemic may be spreading into locations that were previously characterized by their low HIV antibody prevalences. Studying the question of the geographic spread of the HIV infection epidemic (rather than the AIDS epidemic) has been difficult largely because most serial seroprevalence data have been gathered from cohorts of high risk individuals (e.g., homosexual/bisexual cohorts) in New York City, San Francisco, and other geographically circumscribed areas. The U.S. military applicant HIV screening data were used in the current report to examine rates and 24 month temporal trends in geographic areas characterized by their HIV endemicities. The data examined concern the seven most populous states and four hyperendemic metropolitan areas located within those states (New York City, Miami, Houston, and San Francisco). In the nonepidemic regions, seroprevalence rates increased among black and white applicants. In the four epidemic urban areas, only young black applicants had higher HIV seroprevalence rates during the second 12 month period. Six of the seven nonepidemic regions had positive HIV seroprevalence trends, and these trends were significant in Florida, California, Texas, Illinois, and Ohio. The increases in these regions were greater for young blacks (30% excess for year 2 vs. year 1) compared to young whites (12% excess for year 2 vs. year 1). These data provide evidence of birth year specific increases in seroprevalence over time occurring in presumed low HIV prevalence areas. These increases cannot be due to, but are observed in spite of, biases associated with increasing self-selection over time.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Prevention of lower extremity stress fractures: a controlled trial of a shock absorbent insole.

A prospective controlled trial was carried out to determine the usefulness of a viscoelastic polymer insole in prevention of stress fractures and stress reactions of the lower extremities. The subjects were 3,025 US Marine recruits who were followed for 12 weeks of training at Parris Island, South Carolina. Polymer and standard mesh insoles were systematically distributed in boots that were issued to members of odd and even numbered platoons. The most important finding was that an elastic polymer insole with good shock absorbency properties did not prevent stress reactions of bone during a 12-week period of vigorous physical training. To control for the confounding effects of running in running shoes, which occurred for about one and one-half hours per week for the first five weeks, we also examined the association of age of shoes and cost of shoes with injury incidence. A slight trend of increasing stress injuries by increasing age of shoes was observed. However, this trend did not account for the similarity of rates in the two insole groups. In addition, we observed a strong trend of decreasing stress injury rate by history of increasing physical activity, as well as a higher stress injury rate in White compared to Black recruits. The results of the trial were not altered after controlling for these factors. This prospective study confirms previous clinical reports of the association of stress fractures with physical activity history. The clinical application of a shock absorbing insole as a preventive for lower extremity stress reactions is not supported in these uniformly trained recruits. The findings are relevant to civilian populations.

Adolescent

Human immunodeficiency virus infections among civilian applicants for United States military service, October 1985 to March 1986. Demographic factors associated with seropositivity.

During the six months from October 1985 through March 1986, blood samples from 306,061 civilian applicants for military service from the United States were tested for antibody to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Four hundred sixty subjects were positive for the antibody as determined by Western (immune) blot reactivity. The mean prevalence of HIV infection in this population of teenagers and young adults was thus 1.50 per 1000. According to multivariate analysis, the following demographic factors were found to be significant independent predictors of a positive HIV-antibody test: age (adjusted odds ratio = 1.10 per year), black race (adjusted odds ratio = 2.04), male sex (adjusted odds ratio = 1.84), residence in a densely populated county (adjusted odds ratio = 1.05 per 1000 per square mile), and residence in a metropolitan area with a high incidence of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (adjusted odds ratio = 1.53). Antibody-positive applicants were identified in 43 of the 50 states. Counties with high prevalence rates for HIV (greater than 5 per 1000) were located in New York State (four counties), New Jersey (three counties), California (two counties), Maryland (two counties), and Texas, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome