Clinical outcomes post transition to adult services in young adults with perinatally acquired HIV infection: mortality, retention in care and viral suppression

• Published in: AIDS (London) Vol. 34; no. 2; pp. 261 - 266
• Main Authors: Foster, Caroline, Ayers, Sara, Mcdonald, Susan, Frize, Graham, Chhabra, Srishti, Pasvol, Thomas Joshua, Fidler, Sarah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Copyright Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc 01.02.2020
• Subjects: Adult; AIDS/HIV; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Cause of Death; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Female; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - mortality; Humans; London - epidemiology; Male; Retention in Care - statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; Transition to Adult Care - statistics & numerical data; Viral Load; Young Adult; London
• ISSN: 0269-9370; 1473-5571
• DOI: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000002410

OBJECTIVE:Adolescence is the only age group globally where HIV-associated mortality is rising, with poorer outcomes at all stages of the care cascade compared with adults. We examined post transition outcomes for young adults living with perinatal HIV. DESIGN:Retrospective cohort analysis. SETTING:A tertiary Youth Friendly Service London, UK. PARTICIPANTS:A total of 180 young adults living with perinatal HIV registered between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2017 contributed 921 person-years of follow-up post transition to adult services. INTERVENTION:Youth Friendly Service with multidisciplinary care and walk-in access. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Mortality, morbidity, retention in care, antiretroviral therapy (ART) uptake and HIV-viral load suppression. Crude incidence rates are reported per 1000 person-years. RESULTS:Of 180 youth registered, four (2.2%) died, 14 (7.8%) transferred care and four (2.2%) were lost to follow-up. For the 158 retained in care, the median age was 22.9 years [interquartile ranges (IQR) 20.3–25.4], 56% were female, 85% Black African, with a median length of follow-up in adult care of 5.5 years (IQR 2.9–7.3). 157 (99.4%) ever received an ART prescription, 127/157 (81%) with a latest HIV-viral load less than 200 copies RNA/ml, median CD4 cell count of 626 cells/μl (IQR 441–820). The all-cause mortality was 4.3/1000 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–11.1], 10 fold the aged-matched UK HIV-negative population [0.43/1000 person-years (95% CI 0.41–0.44)]. Post transition, 17/180 (9.4%) developed a new AIDS diagnosis; crude incidence rates 18.5/1000 person-years (95% CI 10.8–29.6). CONCLUSION:While this youth-friendly multidisciplinary service achieved high engagement and coverage of suppressive ART, mortality remains markedly increased compared with the general UK population.