Title
Neurosyphilis in HIV-infected patients: Clinical manifestations, serum venereal disease research laboratory titers, and associated factors to symptomatic neurosyphilis
Date Issued
01 May 2008
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Abstract
GOAL: To describe clinical and laboratory features of human immunodeficiency infection (HIV)-infected patients with neurosyphilis. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study of 27 consecutive cases of HIV-infected patients with a positive Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). RESULTS: Median of age was 36 years and 89% were men. Ten (37%) patients had previous nonneurologic syphilis treatment. At the time of neurosyphilis diagnosis, 10 (37%) patients had early syphilis, and 6 of them were neurologically asymptomatic. Nine (33%) patients had symptomatic neurosyphilis. Twenty-six (96%) patients were classified with early neurosyphilis. The medians of serum VDRL and CD4 T cell counts were 1:128 and 182 cell/μL, respectively. Twenty five (93%) patients presented serum VDRL titers ≥1:16. Five of 6 patients with early syphilis and asymptomatic neurosyphilis, presented serum VDRL ≥1:16. Symptomatic patients showed lower CD4 T cell counts (59 cell/μL vs. 208 cell/μL, P = 0.03) and higher protein concentration on CSF (118 mg/dL vs. 39 mg/dL, P <0.001) than asymptomatic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients had early and asymptomatic neurosyphilis, and more than one third had early syphilis. Patients with symptomatic neurosyphilis showed lower CD4 T cell counts and higher protein concentration on CSF than those asymptomatic. Most patients had serum VDRL titers ≥1:16, regardless of syphilis stage. © Copyright 2008 American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association.
Start page
425
End page
429
Volume
35
Issue
5
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Virología
Enfermedades infecciosas
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-43449110134
PubMed ID
Source
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
ISSN of the container
01485717
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus