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

This study was conducted to assess the impact of HIV infection on the onset of rheumatic manifestations in HIV+ patients and to compare them with a control HIV- group with similar risk factors. 74 consecutive HIV+ patients were therefore studied prospectively with researchers looking for clinical and laboratory findings of rheumatic manifestations. These cases were compared against 72 control subjects with similar risk factors for HIV who tested negative for HIV. The results suggest that rheumatic manifestations are more prevalent in HIV+ patients. Further in advanced HIV infection hypo and hyperuricemia may be considered markers of neoplasia. Specifically rheumatic manifestations were found more frequently in the HIV+ group than in the HIV- group: arthralgia were found in 45% arthritis in 10% and Reiters syndrome in 8%. Rheumatoid factor was found in 21% of the HIV+ group and 2% in the HIV- group antinuclear bodies in 17% of the HIV+ group versus none in the HIV- group and IgG anticardiolipin antibodies in 94% of the HIV+ group and 9% of the HIV- group. Hyperuricemia was observed in 31 HIV+ patients and hypouricemia in 4 compared with none in the HIV- group. Neoplasia were observed in 13 HIV+ patients. Two patients had urate abnormalities before the diagnosis and neoplasia.