Prevalence of Rheumatic Disease in HIV Infected Thai Patients
Praveena Chiowchanwisawakit MD*, Achara Koolvisoot MD*, Winai Ratanasuwan MD**, Surapol Suwanagool MD**
Affiliation : * Division. of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University ** Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University
Objective : To determine the prevalence of rheumatic diseases in HIV-infected patients at Siriraj Hospital,
Thailand.
Materials and Methods : 178 patients who attended the HIV-Clinic at Siriraj Hospital between November 2002
and February 2003 were examined for the presence of rheumatic diseases. Diagnosis of HIV infection was
performed by ELISA and confirmed by partial agglutination testing. HIV-infected patients were classified
according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 1993 revised classification system. Standard criteria
were used to classify the rheumatic diseases.
Results : 98 patients had rheumatic diseases. Seventy-seven patients were treated with antiretroviral drugs.
Forty-nine patients had mechanical low back pain, twenty-four patients had arthralgia, nineteen patients
had plantar fasciitis, eighteen patients had nonspecific myalgia, thirteen patients had fibromyalgia, and
eleven patients had others. Arthralgia was associated significantly with Quadricept muscle wasting (p =
0.00001). Nonspecific myalgia was more likely to be associated with female (p = 0.018) and less likely with
use of antiretroviral therapy (p = 0.031).
Conclusion : Rheumatic diseases were commonly found in HIV-infected patients. Arthralgia associated with
wasting Quadricep muscle. Nonspecific myalgia was predominant in female and without antiretroviral drug
treatment.
Keywords : Reactive arthritis, Reiter’s syndrome, Psoriatic arthritis, HIV-associated arthritis, Septic arthritis, Mycobacterium infection, Rheumatic fever, Fibromyalgia, Arthralgia, Plantar fasciitis, Back pain, Retroviruses, HIV, Human immune deficiency viral infection.
