Article Outline
I. Summary
II. 1. Introduction
III. 2. Methods
A. 2.1. Study subjects
B. 2.2. Statistical analysis
IV. 3. Results
V. 4. Discussion
VI. Acknowledgements
VII. Appendix A. Supplementary data
VIII. References
IX. Copyright
Summary
Objective
To retrospectively investigate the outcomes of patients with AIDS-associated Kaposi sarcoma (AIDS-KS) after initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), under routine practice conditions, at a university-affiliated hospital in urban Zimbabwe.
Background
While studies from developed nations have demonstrated excellent outcomes for AIDS-KS patients treated with ART, few studies have examined the outcomes of African AIDS-KS patients after starting therapy.
Methods
A retrospective cohort of 124 AIDS patients initiating ART under routine practice conditions was studied. Thirty-one patients with AIDS-KS were matched 1:3 to 93 AIDS patients without KS (non-KS). The primary outcome was loss-to-care after initiation of therapy. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify significant predictors of loss-to-care. The percent change in weight at 6 months after starting ART was a secondary outcome. A sub-group analysis evaluated differences in pre-treatment variables between AIDS-KS patients retained-in-care compared to those lost-to-care.
Results