title: Spectrum of opportunistic infections among HIV-infected patients in Malaysia.
abstract: We retrospectively reviewed 205 HIV-infected patients, who came at first entry from January 2001 to December 2002 to the Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The aged range was 21-69 years [mean 37.25 years (+/- SD) 8.1]. Subjects were mainly in the age group 35-44 years. The majority of patients were male (82%), Chinese (55.1%), single (55.6%), resided in Kuala Lumpur (55.1%), and were unemployed (57.1%). The most frequent routes of transmission were sexual contact (78.5%), followed by IDUs (30%), blood transfusion (5%), and unknown (0.5%). Oral candidiasis was the most common mucocutaneous disease and significant co-existence was found with the main opportunistic systemic diseases, such as TB, PCP, toxoplasmic encephalitis, penicillosis, and CMV retinitis (p < 0.05). In this study, the range of CD4 counts was 0-910, with a median of 35 cells/mm3. Significant associations between a CD4 level less than 100 cells/mm3 at the time of diagnosis, and the occurrence of major opportunistic diseases, such as candidiasis, TB, PCP, TE, herpes simplex infection, CMV retinitis, penicillosis, and histoplasmosis were found (p < 0.05) in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, University of Malaya Medical Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. nissapat@hotmail.com
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nissapatorn
authors.forename: C K C
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rohela
authors.forename: A Khairul
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Anuar
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies