CD4 and atherosclerosis: However, since the higher incidence of atherosclerosis among HIV-infected patients has been demonstrated in previous studies3–6, and our aim was to study which clinical and analytical parameters related to HIV infection were associated with subclinical atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction, we compared the clinical (time on treatment, time of infection) and analytical parameters (CD4 cells and CD4 nadir, zenith VL) of HIV patients with alterations in the diagnostic tests for atherosclerosis with those without such alterations, considering this latter group as a control group.