Is HIV infection a risk factor for leprosy?
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.
Pönnighaus
J M
JM
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, England, U.K.
Mwanjasi
L J
LJ
Fine
P E
PE
Shaw
M A
MA
Turner
A C
AC
Oxborrow
S M
SM
Lucas
S B
SB
Jenkins
P A
PA
Sterne
J A
JA
Bliss
L
L
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