Table 1 presents the AZD9291 concentration patient profiles of the cohort. The mean age of HIV-positive men at the time of sample production was 37.9 years (range 24–67 years). The majority of men were unable or unwilling to pinpoint the timing/mode of transmission (46.4%) but where they were, a sexual cause predominated in
37.3% of patients. 11.2% were infected haematologically, the majority of whom were haemophiliacs and the reminder of whom received transfusions for other reasons. 3.4% were infected via injecting drug use and infected needle use, 1.3% via needlestick injuries, and one patient suggested possible trauma and exposure at the time of an assault to have caused transmission. The mean time between HIV diagnosis and the production of a sample for insemination was
7.8 years, with times ranging from almost immediately following diagnosis to 25 years. 72.0% of the cycles were performed for men on HAART (mean duration of use 4.9 years; this website range 0.5–19 years). A mean CD4 count of 489 cells/μL (range 92–1207 cells/μL) was found at insemination and 63.3% of cycles were performed with undetectable VL (ranging from 57 to 180 000 copies/mL when detectable). Table 2 shows the overall seminal profiles of the raw samples (mean volume, concentration, total count, progressive motility and per cent abnormal forms of 2.3 mL, 51.3 million/mL, 128.2 million, 41.6 and 74.2%, respectively) and post-wash samples (mean volume, concentration, progressive motility and total motile count inseminated of 0.49 mL, 12.9 million/mL, 79.3%
and 5.7 million, respectively). Total motile count inseminated is the product of volume × concentration × proportion of sperm with progressive motility. Tables 3 and 4 show the associations between continuous markers of HIV disease (using Spearman’s rank correlation) and categorical markers, respectively, and semen parameters. Spearman’s rank tests demonstrated a significant positive correlation between CD4 cell count and sperm count Sitaxentan (r=0.13, P=0.02) and progressive motility (type ‘a’+‘b’, r=0.11, P=0.05) and a significant negative correlation between CD4 cell count and abnormal sperm morphology (r=−0.14, P=0.01). Analysis of post-preparation samples demonstrated a significant positive correlation of CD4 cell count with post-preparation concentration (r=0.16, P=0.005) and TMCI (r=0.15, P=0.009). These results are supported by a significantly reduced ejaculate volume (3.0 vs. 2.6 mL; P=0.03), total sperm count (173.8 vs. 138.1 million; P=0.004), post-preparation concentration (15.0 vs. 12.1 million; P=0.004) and post-preparation TMCI (7.0 vs. 5.9 million; P=0.007), a reduced progressive motility of borderline significance (46.8 vs. 44.0%; P=0.08) and a significantly increased percentage of abnormal sperm (77.2 vs. 75.0%; P=0.03) in samples from men with CD4 counts less than compared to those above the median (450 cells/μL).