Clinical, demographic and laboratory parameters at HAART initiation associated with decreased post-HAART survival in a U.S. military prospective HIV cohort.

Background: Although highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has improved HIV survival, some patients receiving therapy are still dying. This analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with increased risk of post-HAART mortality.

Methods: We evaluated baseline (prior to HAART initiation) clinical, demographic and laboratory factors (including CD4+ count and HIV RNA level) for associations with subsequent mortality in 1,600 patients who began HAART in a prospective observational cohort of HIV-infected U.

Long-term CD4+ lymphocyte response following HAART initiation in a U.S. Military prospective cohort.

Background: Among HIV-infected persons initiating highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), early CD4+ lymphocyte count increases are well described. However, whether CD4+ levels continue to increase or plateau after 4-6 years is controversial.

Methods: To address this question and identify other determinants of CD4+ response, we analyzed data for 1,846 persons from a prospective HIV military cohort study who initiated HAART, who had post-HAART CD4+ measurements, and for whom HIV seroconversion (SC) date was estimated.

Early-onset Major Depressive Disorder in men is associated with childlessness.

Methods: The self-reported number of children was compared for men and women from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcoholism and Related Conditions Survey (NESARC). Subjects with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder were compared to those without an axis I disorder. The effect of age, gender, marriage and diagnostic status on number of children was completed using multivariate analyses.

Intermittent calorie restriction delays prostate tumor detection and increases survival time in TRAMP mice.

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men. Whereas chronic calorie restriction (CCR) delays prostate tumorigenesis in some rodent models, the impact of intermittent caloric restriction (ICR) has not been determined. Here, transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice were used to compare how ICR and CCR affected prostate cancer development.

A decision rule for sequential monitoring of clinical trials with a primary and supportive outcome.

Background: Many clinical trials have multiple outcomes. Formal interim monitoring guidelines that take account of multiple outcomes can be useful to Data Monitoring Committees (DMC). Previous research has focused on marginal criteria that control the overall type I error for bivariate endpoints corresponding to efficacy and safety.