title: Characteristics of HIV-1-associated Kaposi's sarcoma among women and men in South Africa.
abstract: Despite the increase of HIV-1-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), little is known about HIV-associated KS in the African setting, particularly among women. A descriptive study of the demographic, clinical, immunological and virological features of AIDS-associated KS from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa was undertaken. Consecutively, recruited patients were clinically staged; CD4/CD8 cell counts, HIV-1 viral loads and clinical parameters were evaluated. Of the 152 patients (77 male and 75 female) 99% were black. Females were significantly younger (P = 0.02) and had poorer disease prognosis (odds ratio [OR] = 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-5.4, P = 0.003) and were more likely to have extensive cutaneous KS when compared with males (OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.4-6.7, P = 0.003). One-third of patients had coexisting HIV-related disease, most commonly tuberculosis, and these were more frequent in females (56.7 vs. 43.3%). In conclusion, HIV-associated KS in South Africans has an equal female-to-male ratio. Females are younger and have more severe disease than males.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. mosama@ukzn.ac.za
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mosam
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Hurkchand
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cassol
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cassol
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bodasing
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aboobaker
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dawood
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Friedland
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Coovadia
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology