title: Prevalence and characteristics of fibromyalgia among HIV-positive patients in southern Israel.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fibromyalgia and chronic pain have previously associated with HIV infection for over two decades. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of FMS symptoms in an ethnically heterogeneous population of HIV-infected individuals in southern Israel, applying the proposed new diagnostic criteria for diagnosis of fibromyalgia symdrome (FMS).
  
  
  METHODS
  156 HIV-positive patients followed at the AIDS clinic of the Soroka University Medical Center (SUMC) who gave written informed consent were recruited in the trial. FMS was diagnosed based on the widespread pain index (WPI) and the Symptom Severity Score (SSS) comprising the modified 2011 diagnostic criteria for FMS. CD4 levels ad viral load were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and thirty-nine patients (89.1%) were receiving HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy). A total of 22 patients (14.1%) were found to fulfill current criteria for diagnosis of FMS. FMS-criteria positive individuals were slightly younger than criteria-negative individuals (40.3±9.2 vs. 42.6±11.9, p=0.39), but this difference did not reach statistical significance. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding gender, family status, religion, occupation or education. No correlation was found between CD4 and viral load levels and symptoms of FMS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the dramatic improvement in management of HIV, FMS symptoms remain highly prevalent among these patients and are not directly correlated with indices of active disease. FMS is an important clinical issue to address among patients suffering from HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Soroka University Medical Center and the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel.
authors.forename: Idit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dotan
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Institute, Soroka University Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Klaris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Riesenberg
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Institute, Soroka University Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Ronen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Toledano
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Institute, Soroka University Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Francisc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schlaeffer
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Institute, Soroka University Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smolyakov
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Institute, Soroka University Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saidel-Odes
authors.affiliation: Soroka University Medical Center and the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel.
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wechsberg
authors.affiliation: Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel. ajacob@post.tau.ac.il.
authors.forename: Jacob N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Ablin
authors.affiliation: Soroka University Medical Center and the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Novack
authors.affiliation: Soroka University Medical Center and the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buskila
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D062072:Patient Acuity; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D019562:Viral Load / Q000379:methods