title: Is HIV infection a risk factor for leprosy?
abstract: A case control study was undertaken during 1988 and 1989 within the framework of the LEPRA Evaluation Project (LEP)/Karonga Prevention Trail (KPT) in Karonga District, northern Malawi, to investigate whether HIV infection is a risk factor for clinical leprosy. Cases were newly ascertained, biopsy-confirmed, incident leprosy patients older than 14 years of age. Controls were selected from the computer data base on over 170,000 people who form the basis of LEP/KPT. They were matched for sex, age, and area of residence. HIV seropositivity rates were 1.8% (2/112) for incident leprosy cases and 2.4% (24/1011) for controls. The Mantel Haenszel odds ratio is 0.6 (95% confidence interval 0.1-3.3). Thus, no evidence for an association between HIV infection and leprosy incidence has been observed in this population. In a parallel investigation, an odds ratio of 7.4% (95% confidence interval 3.3-16.7) was found for 102 microscopy- and/or culture-confirmed, incident pulmonary tuberculosis cases in the same population during 1989, a result similar to those obtained elsewhere in Africa. Among leprosy relapses, 16.7% (2/12) were HIV positive.
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, England, U.K.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pönnighaus
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Mwanjasi
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Fine
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Oxborrow
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sterne
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bliss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors