HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS RNA LEVELS IN US ADULTS - A COMPARISON BASED UPON RACE AND ETHNICITY

Volunteers in a natural history study of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) at two military medical centers were studied to determi ne whether plasma HIV-1 RNA levels differ among racial and ethnic grou ps of US adults infected with HIV-1. Cross-sectional analyses of plasm a HIV-1 RNA and CD4 cell counts were done using demographic and clinic al data collected during study visits, Age, gender, CD4 cell count, se roconversion status, and use of antiretroviral therapy were studied in 545 military members (46% white, 49% black, and 6% Hispanic), No asso ciation was found between HIV-1 RNA levels and race or ethnicity among infected adults for whom access to care and socioeconomic status were not confounding factors.