title: Clinical features of acute retroviral syndrome differ by route of infection but not by gender and age.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vanhems
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Routy
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hirschel
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baratin
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vora
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maenza
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trépo
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Touraine
authors.forename: René-Pierre
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Gillibert
authors.forename: Ann C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vizzard
authors.forename: Rafick-Pierre
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Sékaly
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fabry
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perrin
mesh_terms: 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