Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2026

New Tools to Expand Regulatory T Cells from HIV-1-infected Individuals
09:27

New Tools to Expand Regulatory T Cells from HIV-1-infected Individuals

Published on: May 30, 2013

The Pediatric AIDS Severity Score (PASS): a multidimensional AIDS-severity adjustment for pediatric HIV infection

George R Seage1, Kate Buchacz, Geoffrey A Weinberg

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. gseage@hsph.harvard.edu

Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (1999)
|September 28, 2006
PubMed

Insights

A new Pediatric AIDS Severity Score (PASS) effectively predicts mortality in perinatally HIV-infected children, aiding treatment assessment when clinical trials are not feasible.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Clinical Epidemiology
  • HIV/AIDS Research

Background:

  • A validated severity staging system is crucial for managing perinatally HIV-infected children.
  • Existing systems may not adequately predict mortality in this vulnerable population.
  • Clinical and research applications require a reliable prognostic tool.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate the Pediatric AIDS Severity Score (PASS).
  • To identify key predictors of mortality in perinatally HIV-infected children.
  • To provide a tool for assessing treatment effectiveness.

Main Methods:

  • Developed PASS using baseline data from 786 perinatally HIV-infected children (pre-HAART era).
  • Validated PASS in a separate cohort of 392 children from the same source population.
  • Utilized Kaplan-Meier, proportional hazards models, and Harrell's C statistic for analysis.

Main Results:

  • Overall survival was 95% at 1 year and 90% at 2 years.
  • The "Full" PASS model identified CD4% <15, CDC category C, low BMI, poor neuropsychological score, low general health rating, and elevated symptoms as significant mortality predictors.
  • The Full PASS demonstrated high predictive accuracy (C statistic = 0.841).

Conclusions:

  • The Pediatric AIDS Severity Score (PASS) is a validated tool for predicting mortality in children with perinatal HIV infection.
  • PASS can aid in evaluating the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART).
  • It is particularly useful when ethical or logistical constraints limit randomized clinical trials.
Abstract

More Related Videos

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients05:48

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test (MSPT): An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool11:35

The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test (MSPT): An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool

Published on: June 30, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
Immunodeficiency Diseases01:25

Immunodeficiency Diseases

Immunodeficiency disorders are conditions in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious disease and cancer is compromised or entirely absent. The immune system comprises a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body from potentially harmful invaders. When this system is deficient or not functioning properly, it leaves the body susceptible to infections, diseases, or other complications.
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency disorders...
Sexually Transmitted Infections01:26

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diseases transmitted primarily through unsafe sexual interactions. Bacteria, viruses, or parasites cause them and can result in severe health complications if untreated.ChlamydiaThe bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for the disease Chlamydia, the most common STI in the United States. This peculiar pathogen requires human cells to reproduce, residing intracellularly. The initial infection often goes unnoticed because it typically does not...
Retrovirus Life Cycles01:10

Retrovirus Life Cycles

Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the retrovirus to...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test01:22

Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test

In clinical practice, the direct measurement of hepatic blood flow to evaluate liver function presents significant challenges due to the intricate and specialized nature of the necessary techniques. Consequently, healthcare professionals often rely on empirical estimates derived from thorough patient examinations and liver function tests to gauge liver health. Among the tools at their disposal, the Child–Pugh and MELD scoring systems stand out for their ability to categorize and assess the...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses a challenge in...