Prevalence and predictors of skin disease in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS).
OBJECTIVE
We attempted to determine the prevalence and predictors of skin disease in a cohort of women with and at risk for HIV infection.


METHODS
We analyzed baseline data from a multicenter longitudinal study of HIV infection in women.


RESULTS
A total of 2018 HIV-infected women and 557 HIV-uninfected women were included in this analysis. Skin abnormalities were reported more frequently among HIV-infected than uninfected women (63% vs 44%, respectively; odds ratio [OR] 2.10; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.74-2.54). Infected women were also more likely to have more than 2 skin diagnoses (OR, 3.27; 95% CI, 1.31-8.16). Folliculitis, seborrheic dermatitis, herpes zoster, and onychomycosis were more common among HIV-infected women (P < .05). Independent predictors of abnormal findings on skin examination in the infected women were African American race (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.07-1.77), injection drug use (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 2.11-3.57), CD4(+) count less than 50 (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.17-2.42), and high viral loads (100,000-499,999 = OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.32-2.37; > 499,999 = OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.42-3.27).


CONCLUSIONS
HIV infection was associated with a greater number of skin abnormalities and with specific dermatologic diagnoses. Skin abnormalities were also more common among women with CD4(+) cell depletion or higher viral load.
Mirmirani
P
P
WIHS Collaborative Study Group, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0316, USA.
Hessol
N A
NA
Maurer
T A
TA
Berger
T G
TG
Nguyen
P
P
Khalsa
A
A
Gurtman
A
A
Micci
S
S
Young
M
M
Holman
S
S
Gange
S J
SJ
Greenblatt
R M
RM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D019562:Viral Load; D016387:Women's Health