Prevalence of shingles and its association with PTSD among HIV-infected women in Rwanda.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the prevalence of reported shingles in the last 6 months and its association with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and severity of HIV disease in Rwandan women with HIV.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study was conducted as part of the Rwanda Women's Interassociation Study and Assessment (RWISA), an observational cohort study designed to assess the impact of HIV and residual factors from experiencing rape in the 1994 genocide in Rwandan women. Participants were recruited through grassroots women's associations of people living with HIV infection and clinical care sites for HIV infection. Most participants (58.5%, n=405/692) had PTSD.


METHODS
This cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 710 HIV-infected women enrolled in RWISA. Inclusion criteria were: age >15 years, informed consent, HIV test, ability to complete the interview in the local language, travel to and from the research site and participate in a baseline outpatient visit, and being naive to antiretroviral therapy at enrolment.


METHODS
The outcome of interest was self-reported shingles in the past 6 months. The exposure was PTSD defined using the cross-culturally validated Harvard Trauma Questionnaire.


RESULTS
Overall prevalence of reported shingles in the past 6 months was 12.5% (n=89/710). There was an inverse relationship between shingles prevalence and immunological status: 7.6%, 12.3% and 16.7% of women with CD4 >350, 200-350 and <200 cells/µL, respectively, reported singles (p=0.01). In multivariate analysis, PTSD (aOR 1.7; 95% CI 1.02 to 2.89) and low CD4 (aOR 2.4; 95% CI 1.23 to 4.81) were independently associated with reported shingles in the past 6 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study found a significant independent relationship between PTSD and reported shingles, suggesting that PTSD may be associated with immune compromise that can result in herpes zoster reactivation. Further study is needed. It also confirmed previous findings of a strong relationship between shingles and greater immunosuppression in women with HIV infection.
Regional Alliance for Sustainable Development, Kigali, Rwanda.
Jean d'Amour
Jd
Sinayobye
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
Donald R
DR
Hoover
New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA.
Qiuhu
Q
Shi
Regional Alliance for Sustainable Development, Kigali, Rwanda.
Eugene
E
Mutimura
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Hillel W
HW
Cohen
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Kathryn
K
Anastos
D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D063365:Genocide; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D012432:Rwanda / Q000453:epidemiology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Depression; HIV/AIDS; PTSD; Shingles