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Infectious Diseases
and STD-AIDS
Infectious Diseases and STD-AIDS 2018
Journal of Transmitted Diseases and Immunity
ISSN 2471-8084
A p r i l 2 6 - 2 7 , 2 0 1 8
R o m e , I t a l y
Page 23
Background:
Syphilis is an old known sexually-transmitted disease (STD). De-
spite it can be easily prevented and treated, each year more than 10-million
cases are still diagnosed worldwide, with an incidence of 1, 5 cases/1000 habi-
tants in Latin-America. There is limited epidemiological data from South-Amer-
ica available.
Materials & Methods:
We performed a retrospective analysis of medical re-
cords of patients with clinical diagnosis of syphilis and non-treponema-test
data (VDRL) available between june-2012 and october-2015. Age, gender, HIV
status, HIV plasma viral load (VL), follow-up and repeat infection rates were
analyzed. Loss to follow-up was considered when post-treatment-VDRL was
not performed, and repeat infection was defined as a fourfold increase in VDRL
titer after effective treatment. HIV VL<200 copies/mm
3
was considered as viro-
logic suppression (VS). Statistical analysis was performed using Epi Info 7.2.1.
Results:
3464 VDRL results from 994 subjects were analyzed. 83.9% were men,
with a median age of 35-years (IQR 27-43). 771 patients (77.6%) were HIV-pos-
itive (HIV+) and 353 of the 654 subjects with available VL data were on VS
(54%). 663 (63.7%) had at least one VDRL during follow-up period, with higher
follow-up rates in HIV+ (66.9% versus 52.5% p<0.01) and older than 35-years
subjects (67.7% versus 59.6% p<0.01). Overall repeat infection rate was 19%,
with higher rates in older-than-35-years (23.1% vs. 14.2% p<0.01), HIV+ pa-
tients (20, 7% vs. 11,1% p=0.02), and HIV+ patients on VS (27.3% versus 12.9%
p<0.01). Median time to repeat infection was 506 days (IQR 363-658).
Conclusions:
As stated in previous epidemiological reports, rates of syphilis
repeat infections are higher in subjects older than 35-years and in HIV+ pa-
tients, especially in those on VS. Our findings remark the need for reinforce-
ment of STD-preventive measures in this population. The usual medical care
in HIV+ patients may overestimate the rates of follow-up and repeat infection
compared with HIV negative patients.
Biography
Jose Barletta is an Argentine Physician graduated from Univer-
sidad de Buenos Aires. He is a Teaching Assistant in Clinical
Pharmacology at Universidad de Buenos Aires since 2009. He
is currently working as an Infectious Diseases Resident at Hos-
pital Fernández, a reference center for HIV in Argentina where
he carries out research and patient-care activities. He has au-
thored and co-authored several research projects.
jabarletta@gmail.comSyphilis and its association with HIV infection in patients from a
general hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Jose Barletta, Sofia Stover, Maria Rey, Mercedes Cabrini
Gabriela Blugerman and Hector Perez
Hospital Juan A. Fernandez, Argentina
Jose Barletta et al., J Transm Dis Immun 2018 Volume 2
DOI: 10.21767/2573-0320-C1-002