Rheumatic manifestations in human immunodeficiency virus positive and negative individuals: a study of 2 populations with similar risk factors.

OBJECTIVE

Assess the impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on the onset of rheumatic manifestations in HIV+ patients, and to compare them with a control HIV- group with similar risk factors.

METHODS

We prospectively studied 74 consecutive HIV+ patients, looking for clinical and laboratory findings of rheumatic manifestations and compared them with 72 control subjects with similar risk factors for HIV who tested negative for HIV.

RESULTS

Rheumatic manifestations were more frequently observed in the HIV+ group than the HIV-group (p < 0.001): Arthralgias were found in 34 (45%), arthritis in 8 (10%), and Reiter's syndrome in 6 (8%). Laboratory findings revealed rheumatoid factor in 16 (21%) HIV+ vs 2 (2%) in HIV-, antinuclear antibodies in 13 (17%) HIV+ vs 0 in HIV-, IgG anticardiolipin antibodies in 70 (94%) HIV+ vs 7 (9%) in HIV- (p < 0.001). Hyperuricemia was found in 31 HIV+ patients (41%), and hypouricemia in 4 (5%), compared with none in the HIV- group (p < 0.0001). Neoplasia were identified in 13 HIV+ patients, in 7 associated with hyperuricemia and 3 with hypouricemia. Of interest, 2 patients had urate abnormalities before the diagnosis of neoplasia.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that rheumatic manifestations are more prevalent in HIV+ patients. In advanced HIV infection, hypo and hyperuricemia may be considered markers of neoplasia.