Syphilis in HTLV-Iii Infected Male Homosexuals

Abstract

Out of 100 male homosexual persons screened for AIDS, 54 were found to be HTLV-III antibody positive. Of these, 34 (63%) had a positive history of syphilis, as compared to 16 (35%) of the 46 HTLV-III antibody negative persons (P less than 0.01). In the HTLV-III antibody positive group 12 (22%) had had more than three syphilis infections as compared to none in the negative group (P = 0.02). The frequency of a previous primary, secondary, and latent syphilitic infection was different in the two groups. During the 1970s and early 1980s the incidence of syphilis in the U.S.A. and in Denmark was increasing, but from 1982 the incidence decreased markedly, possibly a consequence of the fear of AIDS, which appeared in 1981-82. It is speculated that the high frequency of syphilis among homosexual men might have been a co-factor for the acquisition of the HTLV-III infection.

AIDS Meets Syphilis: Changing Patterns of the Syphilitic Infection and Its Treatment

“…The serological diagnosis of syphilis in an individual who has not been previously infected with Treponema pallidum does not seem to be drastically modified by an ongo ing HIV infection, that is the pattern and chronology of VDRL, FTA and 1 PH A tests reactivity do not appear to be affected [14], However, on the one hand a negative serolo gy in a patient seropositive for HIV and in fected with syphilis has been described [15], On the other hand the reliability of one key serological indicator of a recent ongoing in fection, i.e. an ascending titer in the VDRL test, has become questionable in patients who had been previously treated for one or several syphilitic reinfections.…”

Evaluation of seroepidemiological associations between HIV-infection, hepatitis B and other sexually transmitted diseases in African patients

“…Former studies have reported a correlation between serological markers for syphilis and HIV (5,16,20), though others have denied it (13). Apparently an overall correlation does exist, at least for women, and is also observed in univariate analysis.…”

Syphilis and HIV Infection

“…in homosexual HIV positive men the percentage was 46% [5]. In a study from Zurich (CH), 60% of HIV-positive homosexual men were reactive to syphilis, while in HIV-negative homosexual men the percentage was 32% [6], in Denmark the corre sponding numbers were 63 and 35% [7], Consequence. From these epidemiologic data it follows that every patient with positive syphilis serology should be tested for HIV antibodies and that every HIV-positive patient must be tested for syphilis.…”