Clinical features of acute retroviral syndrome differ by route of infection but not by gender and age.
The rate of HIV disease progression is associated with the severity of the acute retroviral syndrome (ARS). We explored the clinical features of ARS by gender, age and route of infection among 378 individuals with documented ARS enrolled in 5 prospective cohort studies with similar enrollment criteria. No major differences were detected by gender or by age. Several symptoms were reported less frequently in the injecting drug users as compared with infection acquired through sexual contacts (either heterosexual or homosexual). This was observed in particular for fever (50% vs. 77%, p=.001), skin rash (21% vs. 51%, p=.001), pharyngitis (18% vs. 43%, p=.004), and myalgia (29% vs. 52%, p=.01). Genital ulcerations were present only in cases of sexual exposure to HIV. Injecting drug users had or reported symptoms associated with the ARS less frequently than persons acquiring HIV via sexual transmission.
Vanhems
Philippe
P
Laboratoire d'Epidemiologie et de Santé publique, and INSERM Unit 271, Faculté de Médecine, Université Claude Bernard, et Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Lyon, France. philipva@lyon-sud.univ-lyon1.fr
Routy
Jean-Pierre
JP
Hirschel
Bernard
B
Baratin
Dominique
D
Vora
Samir
S
Maenza
Janine
J
Carr
Andrew
A
Trépo
Christian
C
Touraine
Jean-Louis
JL
Gillibert
René-Pierre
RP
Collier
Ann C
AC
Cooper
David A
DA
Vizzard
Jeanette
J
Sékaly
Rafick-Pierre
RP
Fabry
Jacques
J
Perrin
Luc
L
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications; D013577:Syndrome