Impact of HIV-1 subtype and Korean Red Ginseng on AIDS progression: comparison of subtype B and subtype D

BACKGROUND: To date, no study has described disease progression in Asian patients infected with HIV-1 subtype D. METHODS: To determine whether the disease progression differs in patients infected with subtypes D and B prior to starting combination antiretroviral therapy, the annual decline (AD) in CD4(+) T cell counts over 96 ± 59 months was retrospectively analyzed in 163 patients and compared in subtypes D and B based on the nef gene. RESULTS: CD4(+) T cell AD was significantly higher in the six subtype D–infected patients than in the 157 subtype B–infected patients irrespective of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) treatment (p < 0.001). Of these, two subtype D–infected patients and 116 subtype B–infected patients had taken KRG. AD was significantly lower in patient in the KRG-treated group than in those in the KRG-naïve group irrespective of subtype (p < 0.05). To control for the effect of KRG, patients not treated with KRG were analyzed, with AD found to be significantly greater in subtype D–infected patients than in subtype B–infected patients (p < 0.01). KRG treatment had a greater effect on AD in subtype D–infected patients than in subtype B–infected patients (4.5-fold vs. 1.6-fold). Mortality rates were significantly higher in both the 45 KRG-naïve (p < 0.001) and all 163 (p < 0.01) patients infected with subtype D than subtype B. CONCLUSION: Subtype D infection is associated with a >2-fold higher risk of death and a 2.9-fold greater rate of progression than subtype B, regardless of KRG treatment.