AIDS caused by HIV1 and HIV2 infection: are there clinical differences? Results of AIDS surveillance 1986-97 at Fann Hospital in Dakar, Senegal.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the clinical manifestations observed in AIDS patients infected with HIV2 and HIV1 infection.

METHODS

The medical records of AIDS patients hospitalized between January 1986 and July 1997 at the Department of Infectious Diseases of Fann Hospital, Dakar, were reviewed.

RESULTS

599 hospitalizations (76%) were HIV1 seropositive patients, 137 (17%) were HIV2 seropositive patients and 54 (7%) were patients serologically dually reactive to HIV1 and HIV2. There was no significant difference in medium CD4 lymphocyte count between patients with HIV1 and HIV2 infection. Chronic diarrhoea and diarrhoea caused by bacterial infections were more frequently observed in HIV2-infected individuals. Oral candidiasis and chronic fever were more often noted in patients with HIV1 infection. Bacterial and cryptococcal meningitis was only observed among patients with HIV1 infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Certain clinical differences were observed comparing AIDS patients with HIV1 and those with HIV2 infection. As there is no clear physiopathological explanation for these differences, additional studies with larger numbers of AIDS patients are needed to determine whether these differences are real.