title: Seroprevalence and risk factors of syphilis among HIV/AIDS patients in Istanbul, Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Data on syphilis seroprevalence among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients are unavailable in Turkey although they have common transmission routes. Our study is oriented towards the assessment of the seroprevalence of syphilis and the related risk factors in the HIV/AIDS patients followed in our outpatient clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases (n = 308) who attended our outpatient clinic between January 2006 and April 2013 were included in the study. Patient characteristics, medical history, physical examination findings, CD4+ T lymphocyte count, HIV RNA level, rapid plasma reagent (RPR) and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination (TPHA) test results were analyzed retrospectively. TPHA positivity was considered indicative of syphilis-causing T pallidum exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HIV infection was transmitted through heterosexual (n = 176) or homosexual (n =131) contact (266 male, 86.3%; age 38.3 ± 11.7 years; CD4+ T lymphocyte count, 330.6 ± 15.17/mm3). 50.7% of the patients attained only primary education. Out of the 245 cases, who were asked about the number of their sexual partners, 40 patients (26 women) lived in a monogamous relationship. Condom usage was not practiced (57.2%) or was only occasional (34.4% - particularly with their legal spouses and for contraception). Physical exam revealed no signs of syphilis or other STIs. TPHA (+/- RPR) positivity was determined in 40 patients (12.9%), indicating T pallidum exposure. All patients with positive syphilis serology were male (p= 0.0026). T pallidum exposure was determined in 21.3% of homosexual and 6.8% of heterosexual cases (p = 0.0003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since sexual contact is the most common route of transmission for both infections, syphilis seroprevalence was relatively high in our HIV/AIDS patients. Male and homosexual HIV/AIDS patients constituted a group at the highest risk for syphilis.
authors.forename: Özlem Altuntaş
authors.initials: ÖA
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Hayat Kumbasar
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Karaosmanoğlu
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sayan
authors.forename: Emine Rahşan
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: İnce
authors.forename: Özcan
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Nazlıcan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013587:Syphilis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult