C-reactive protein is an independent predictor of mortality in women with HIV-1 infection.

The relationship of C-reactive protein (CRP) to mortality was assessed in 209 HIV-1-infected women after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, CD4 cell lymphocyte count, and HIV-1 RNA. During the follow-up period of up to 5 years (median = 45 months) there were 49 deaths. CRP at study enrollment was measured using a low sensitivity assay. CRP levels were only weakly correlated (Pearson correlation coefficient r < .2) with other predictors of mortality. CRP was a powerful predictor of mortality (p < .01) after adjusting for age, BMI, serum albumin, CD4 cell lymphocytes, and HIV-1 RNA. The relative hazard associated with an elevated CRP level, independent of the covariates noted above, varied from 3.4- to 13.6-fold depending on how CRP values were grouped. CRP may be a useful and inexpensive predictor of HIV disease mortality in women.