Is Kaposi's sarcoma occurring at higher CD4 cell counts over the course of the HIV epidemic?

We evaluated longitudinal rates of Kaposi's sarcoma and trends in CD4 cell counts at the time of Kaposi's sarcoma diagnosis during the HIV epidemic (1985-2008). Although rates of Kaposi's sarcoma have decreased, cases are now occurring at higher CD4 cell counts over time, with more than one-third of cases diagnosed in 2002-2008 occurring at CD4 cell counts of at least 350 cells/μl. These data support future studies evaluating the impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy initiation at higher CD4 cell counts to further reduce Kaposi's sarcoma.