Relationship Between Immunoclinical Status and Prevalence of Viral Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Seropositive Patients in Ghana

ABSTRACT In view of the strong association between the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), we screened 182 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-l infected patients over a 15-month period for serological markers to previously encountered or current STDs, most of viral etiology. The relationship between their immunological and clinical status and the prevalence of STDs was assessed and compared with that of 88 HIV-seronegative patients. Hepatitis B virus and Treponema pallidum were the most frequently occurring pathogens in both HIV-1-infected and HIV-seronegative patients. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was also observed in both groups, but no HIV-seronegative patient was infected with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). The Centers for Disease Control clinical staging of Al through C3, representing asymptomatic to severe AIDS conditions, was observed in HIV-1 patients with or without STDs. A mean CD4 count of 288 cells per microliter (95% CI of 237–...