Objective     T o study clinical features and risk factors of disease progression in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)infected patients from Chongqing region. Methods      A total of 1 978 HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Chongqing Public Health Medical Center between 2013 and 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. The data were collected according to patients’ basic information

demographic factors

and clinical examination combined with disease complications. Results      Of the 1 978 cases

54.9% of them had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) before initiation of ART

and over 90% of them had a lower level of CD4+ cells (less than 350 cells/μL). The percentage of HIVinfected patients who received ART within 1 month of AIDS diagnosis was significantly higher than those without symptoms（Chi square=69.14，P0.05）. But

the percentage of asymptomatic HIV-infected patients receiving ART after 4 months of diagnosis was dramatically higher than those with AIDS （Chi square=75.56，P0.05）. The patients from suburbs were more likely to have AIDS compared to those living in the city（Chi square=28.50，P0.05）

showing 1.69-fold higher risk of AIDS incidence（95%CI：1.47~1.95）. The majority of patients (58.6%) receiving ART was aged from 20 to 40 years. Male homosexuality accounted for a higher proportion (47.6%) of the study with the lowest incidence of AIDS (39.6%). In addition

the onset of AIDS was lower in younger patients than older ones. The HIV-infected patients transmitted by male homosexuality were less progressed to AIDS compared to those infected by heterogeneous sex

blood transfusion

injection drug use and unidentified transmission routes. Conclusion      Most of HIV-infected patients are diagnosed with AIDS before the initiation of ART. Asymptomatic HIV-infected patients tend to have a delay to start the ART. Patients living in suburbs are more likely to have AIDS. Also

patients who are older and infected by HIV but not through homosexuality were more likely to progress to AIDS.