title: Distal sensory polyneuropathy in HIV-positive patients in the HAART era: an entity underestimated by clinical examination.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP) in our HIV-positive patients under highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and to investigate correlations with clinical, laboratory and demographic factors. One hundred consecutive HIV-positive patients underwent clinical and electrophysiological evaluation for DSP. Correlations with HIV stage, CD4 count, nadir CD4 count, viral load (VL), disease duration, age, sex and type of antiretrovirals were examined. Thirty-six percent of the patients had DSP (13% clinical, 23% subclinical diagnosed by electrophysiology). The prevalence of DSP was affected in a statistically significant manner by the diagnosis of AIDS (P = 0.00033), age (P = 0.0102), nadir CD4 count (P = 0.0087) and exposure to two neurotoxic antiretrovirals (P = 0.0189). Advanced HIV stage, sex, time from diagnosis, current CD4 count and VL did not seem to affect the prevalence of DSP. Clinical examination plus electrophysiology reveals that DSP affects 36% of patients under HAART, although subclinical in 2/3 of cases. Age, severe prior immunosuppression and the combined use of zalcitabine (ddC), stavudine (d4T) and didanosine (ddI) are important risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Laikon GH (AIDS Unit), School of Medicine, 75 Mikras Asias Street, Athens 115 27, Greece.
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Skopelitis
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Kokotis
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Kontos
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Panayiotakopoulos
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Konstantinou
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kordossis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karandreas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016049:Didanosine / Q000009:adverse effects; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D018119:Stavudine / Q000009:adverse effects; D016047:Zalcitabine / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D016047:Zalcitabine; D018119:Stavudine; D016049:Didanosine