Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Chronic Kidney Disease in People Living with HIV in a Resource-Limited Center of Central China

Abstract

Clinical management and optimal treatment are essential to improving outcomes for people living with HIV (PLWH). We assessed trends and outcomes of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in PLWH in a resource-limited center of central China. All PLWH who were followed up in a tertiary referral center in Wuhan, China, from July 2016 to June 2021 were evaluated. CKD was defined as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m² during two consecutive measurements 3 months apart. Baseline characteristics of the participants were extracted from the hospital medical records. The prevalence rate and associated risk factors of CKD were analyzed. A total of 863 PLWH with normal kidney function at baseline were analyzed. The median age was 33 (interquartile ranges: 26–49) years, and 778 (90.2%) were male and 85 (9.8%) were female. Among them, 50 (5.8%) had their GFR falling below 60 mL/min/1.73 m² after a median of 54 months. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression revealed older age [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.04, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.01–1.07], female sex (aOR = 3.17, 95% CI: 1.14–8.84), lower body weight (aOR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91–1.00), lower hemoglobin (aOR = 3.54, 95% CI: 1.51–8.30), longer duration of antiretroviral therapy exposure (aOR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00–1.04), and a baseline GFR between 60 and 90 mL/min/1.73 m² (aOR = 3.89, 95% CI: 1.21–12.46) were associated with the development of CKD. Our findings showed that CKD is not infrequent in PLWH with a combination of traditional and HIV-specific risk factors for kidney disease, highlighting the suboptimal monitoring and treatment options of CKD in PLWH in resource-limited settings. Scalable monitoring strategy to improve care for this population is warranted.