Laboratory indices of prognosis in HIV infection

The progression of a HIV seropositive patient from an asymptomatic infection or persistent generalised lymphadenopathy to AIDS is dependent on many factors. The most useful prognostic indicators appear to be CD4 + lymphocyte count, beta 2-microglobulin level, anti-p24 antibody titre and p24 antigenaemia. The use of a combination of prognostic indices can enhance the accuracy of the prediction.