Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of older (≥ 50 years) and younger (20–35 years) HIV-positive subjects in the period 1997–2003.

Male sex

91(76)

285 (60)

<0.01

Age (mean ± SD), years

58 ± 5.1

31 ± 3.2

<0.01

Risk factor of HIV infection

Heterosexual

62(52)

199(42)

0.1

No risk reported

32(27)

119 (25)

0.6

Homosexual

19(16)

57 (12)

0.2

Injection drug users

6(5)

104(22)

<0.01

Months between first HIV+ test and AIDS (mean ± SD)

1.8 ± 7.8

3.3 ± 6.7

0.4

Stage C of HIV infection*

62 (52)

114 (24)

<0.01

PCP

9 (8)

14 (3)

0.02

HIV encephalopathy

9 (8)

9 (2)

<0.01

Kaposi

8 (7)

5 (1)

<0.01

Candidiasis

8 (7)

43 (9)

0.5

Cryptococcosis

5 (4)

1 (0.3)

<0.01

Mycobacteriosis

4 (3)

5 (1)

0.2

Cryptosporidiosis

4 (3)

5 (1)

0.06

Tuberculosis

4 (3)

14 (3)

0.7

Isosporiasis

1 (1)

0

0.2

Bacterial pneumonia

1 (1)

0

0.2

Wasting syndrome

1 (1)

9 (2)

0.5

Toxoplasmosis

0

9 (2)

0.1

Cytomegalovirus retinitis

0

1 (0.3)

0.6

Lymphoma

7 (6)

9 (2)

0.05

CD4+ T cell/mm³ (mean ± SD)**

59.1 ± 65.3

105.3 ± 127.4

0.04

Deaths

16 (13)

14 (3)

<0.01