Abstract:Purpose of Review
To highlight recent trends in the epidemiology of HIV and syphilis, the impact of the COVID epidemic, our approach to care of co-infected patients, and our views on important next steps in advancing the field.
Recent Findings
HIV and syphilis co-infection has been on the rise in recent years although since the COVID pandemic there is a decrease in new diagnoses—it remains unclear if this represents a true decline or inadequate testing or under-reportin… Show more
“…This patient’s HIV-positive status further complicated diagnosis and treatment. Co-infection yields greater infectivity, lower CD4 counts, increasing viral load, earlier progression of syphilis, higher rates of tertiary syphilis, and increased neurologic involvement [ 1 , 12 - 14 ]. Syphilis co-infection also appears to adversely affect the treatment of HIV, and vice versa [ 6 , 15 , 16 ].…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The rate of syphilis tripled between 2013 and 2018 in the United States [ 1 ]. The causative spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum widely disseminates in host tissues and is immunoevasive, which taken together, can yield atypical presentations that mimic other diseases years after primary infection [ 2 ].…”
Syphilis is re-emerging in the United States. Treponema pallidum, the spirochete bacterium responsible for syphilis, has immunoevasive properties that facilitate pathogenesis and widespread tissue involvement. Host immune status, particularly the presence of HIV/AIDS, can influence the presentation and severity of the disease. Patients co-infected with HIV and syphilis may develop atypical lesions, including those involving the oropharynx. Any immunocompromised patient with tongue lesions and lymphadenopathy is presumed to have a wide differential diagnosis, and tissue sampling with histopathologic analysis is indicated. We present a patient with gumma of the tongue as the initial manifestation of tertiary syphilis.
“…This patient’s HIV-positive status further complicated diagnosis and treatment. Co-infection yields greater infectivity, lower CD4 counts, increasing viral load, earlier progression of syphilis, higher rates of tertiary syphilis, and increased neurologic involvement [ 1 , 12 - 14 ]. Syphilis co-infection also appears to adversely affect the treatment of HIV, and vice versa [ 6 , 15 , 16 ].…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The rate of syphilis tripled between 2013 and 2018 in the United States [ 1 ]. The causative spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum widely disseminates in host tissues and is immunoevasive, which taken together, can yield atypical presentations that mimic other diseases years after primary infection [ 2 ].…”
Syphilis is re-emerging in the United States. Treponema pallidum, the spirochete bacterium responsible for syphilis, has immunoevasive properties that facilitate pathogenesis and widespread tissue involvement. Host immune status, particularly the presence of HIV/AIDS, can influence the presentation and severity of the disease. Patients co-infected with HIV and syphilis may develop atypical lesions, including those involving the oropharynx. Any immunocompromised patient with tongue lesions and lymphadenopathy is presumed to have a wide differential diagnosis, and tissue sampling with histopathologic analysis is indicated. We present a patient with gumma of the tongue as the initial manifestation of tertiary syphilis.
“…CSF examination might be warranted in serological non responders and serofast patients [40]. Many experts believe that most patients with HIV and syphilis deserve CSF examination regardless of symptoms, especially those with a CD4+ cell count < 350 cells/microL and an RPR > 1:32 [54,56].…”
In 2021 the scientific community's efforts have been focused on solving the back-breaking challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, but sexually transmitted infections (STI) are still one of the most common global health problems. Syphilis is a systemic disease caused by the spirochaete Treponema pallidum (TP) and is one of the oldest known diseases. Its incidence has increased in the last few years and syphilis still remains a contemporary plague that continues to afflict millions of people worldwide. Despite research improvements, syphilis pathogenesis is not completely clear; clinical presentation is very heterogeneous and the diagnosis can sometimes be difficult. Furthermore, few therapeutic options are available, and a vaccine has not been found yet. In this review, we describe the most recent evidence concerning the clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment and vaccine prospectives for this disease.
“…The incidence and prevalence of syphilis infection among MSM has increased significantly over the past decades [6]. This is of particular concern because primary syphilis lesions can increase the risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV, whereas HIV can accelerate the natural history of syphilis [7]. One feature of the current syphilis epidemics among MSM is the increasing prevalence of repeat syphilis infections, with increasing proportions of cases being reported from Belgium [8], Australia [9] and the United States [10].…”
Syphilis, a curable sexually transmitted infection, has re-emerged as a global public health threat with an estimated 5.6 million new cases every year. Pregnant women and men who have sex with men are key target populations for syphilis control and prevention programs. Frequent syphilis testing for timely and accurate diagnosis of active infections for appropriate clinical management is a key strategy to effectively prevent disease transmission. However, there are persistent challenges in the diagnostic landscape and service delivery/testing models that hinder global syphilis control efforts. In this commentary, we summarise the current trends and challenges in diagnosis of active syphilis infection and identify the data gaps and key areas for research and development of novel point-of-care diagnostics which could help to overcome the present technological, individual and structural barriers in access to syphilis testing. We present expert opinion on future research which will be required to accelerate the validation and implementation of new point-of-care diagnostics in real-world settings.
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