Co-infections and co-morbidities among injecting drug users versus sexually infected patients in Bucharest.
BACKGROUND
After the 2008 introduction of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in Romania, the number of newly diagnosed HIV infections showed significant increase among injecting drug users (IDUs). Our objective was to analyze the differences between co-infections related to the HIV infection, based on the way of transmission (IDUs versus sexually infected).


METHODS
A retrospective transversal study was carried out, analyzing 245 adult HIV-positive patients, diagnosed between January 2013 and December 2013 in our hospital. We collected socio-demographic, epidemiological and laboratory data at the diagnosis and analyzed them using SPSS version 20.


RESULTS
Most patients (71%, 174/245) were men and the median age was 32 years (IQR: 26-38). 91 patients (37%) were former/active IDUs (most of them injecting both opioids and NPS), while 154 patients (63%) were sexually infected, with 84% being heterosexuals and 16% men having sex with men (MSM). The median CD4 count, at the moment of diagnosis, was 294 cells/mm(3) (IQR: 119-483).


CONCLUSIONS
Heterosexual transmission was the most common way of HIV transmission in 2013 in contrast with EU/CEE, where MSM accounted for the majority of cases of HIV epidemics in 2012 [1]. Sexually transmitted HIV infection was associated with late presentation, stage C and syphilis. We noted a high percentage of IDU transmission, which was associated with stage A and hepatitis C infection.
INBI Prof Dr Matei Bals, Bucharest, Romania.
Eliza
E
Manea
INBI Prof Dr Matei Bals, Bucharest, Romania.
Raluca
R
Jipa
INBI Prof Dr Matei Bals, Umf Carol Davila Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania.
Iulia
I
Niculescu
INBI Prof Dr Matei Bals, Umf Carol Davila Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania.
Serban
S
Benea
INBI Prof Dr Matei Bals, Umf Carol Davila Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania.
Otilia
O
Benea
INBI Prof Dr Matei Bals, Umf Carol Davila Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania.
Victoria
V
Arama
INBI Prof Dr Matei Bals, Umf Carol Davila Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania.
Adriana
A
Hristea