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Objective: We aimed to evaluate the presence of syphilis coinfection in HIV-infected individuals between January 2014 and December 2019. In addition, the data obtained from traditional and reverse algorithms for serological diagnosis of syphilis used consecutively in the same center were examined.
Methods: Syphilis ELISA IgG (Vircell S.L., Granada, Spain), Elecsys® Syphilis (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) and TPHA (Spinreact, Girona, Spain) were used as treponemal tests in syphilis screening; VDRL (Spinreact, Girona, Spain) was used as a non-treponemal test.
Results: Between January 2014 and December 2019, 21 of the 195 HIV-infected patients were found positive serologically in terms of syphilis. In 18 of the 21 patients, syphilis was diagnosed with HIV infection simultaneously, and other three HIV-infected patients were diagnosed as syphilis during their follow-up periods. Traditional diagnostic algorithm (January 2014-June 2016) revealed five syphilis patients, and reverse diagnostic algorithm (July 2016-December 2019) disclosed 16 patients among 21 HIV-infected patients.
Conclusions: Sexual contact is a common transmission route for both HIV infection and syphilis, and the frequency of coinfection is high. Besides adherence to actual diagnostic algorithms, syphilis screening in HIV-infected individuals and HIV screening in Treponema pallidum-infected individuals, are important for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
Klimik Dergisi 2020; 33(3): 292-6.
Cite this article as: Dinç HÖ, Alkan S, Özbey D, et al. [Evaluation of syphilis coinfection in HIV-infected individuals]. Klimik Derg. 2020; 33(3): 292-6. Turkish.