title: Epidemiology and infectious complications of human immunodeficiency virus antibody positive patients.
abstract: From July 1, 1991 to March 31, 1992, 156 patients (pts) with positive antibody titers to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were seen in our clinic. A retrospective review of the epidemiology and infectious complications of these patients is presented. There were 129 males and 27 females (4.8:1, ratio). Only 10/156 (12.8%) were non-whites (13 blacks and 7 hispanics). The majority, 126 (80.7%), were 25 to 44 years old. The most common risk factor was homosexuality or bisexuality 100 (64.1%), followed by heterosexual acquisition 25 (16%), intravenous drug abuse 23 (13.7%), unknown 6 (3.8%) and transfusion-related 3 (1.9%). Sixty-five pts had no infections. In the remaining 91 pts, the infections noted were: candidiasis (54 pts); Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (25 pts); Herpes simplex (13 pts); cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis (11 pts) and CMV esophagitis (1 pt), central nervous system toxoplasmosis (8); Herpes zoster (6 pts); cryptococcal meningitis (5 pts); Mycobacterium avium complex bacteremia (4 pts); Molluscum contagiosum, hepatitis-B, staphylococcal infection, perirectal abscess and oral hairy leukoplakia (2 pts each); syphilis, cryptosporidiosis, nocardiosis, histoplasmosis and laryngeal papillomatosis (1 pt each). Infections were multiple in 57/91 (62%) pts and tend to occur more often when the helper cells are < 200 47/57 (82%) pts. Appropriate antimicrobials for prophylaxis and maintenance therapy appeared to decrease the occurrence or relapse of infections such as pneumocystosis, candidiasis, cryptococcosis, tuberculosis and toxoplasmosis.
authors.affiliation: St. Joseph's Hospital Infectious Disease Research Institute Tampa, FL 33677-4227.
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Yangco
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Kenyon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies