Abstract

Objective: This study was planned to determine opportunis­tic diseases (ODs)  among individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and whether there were any relationship between ODs, CD4+ T cells and the HIV viral load in Turkey.

Methods: In the present study, HIV-infected individuals followed by Istanbul Education and Research Hospital between January 2002 and April 2012 were evaluated retrospectively. Demographics, CD4+ T cell count at the time of OD development, HIV RNA level, and treatment status of the patients were determined.

Results: In 61 (28.8%) of 212 cases included in the study, 89 ODs occurred. Mean (±standard deviation) CD4+ T lymphocyte count was 169.6 (±23.0)/mm3, and logHIV RNA level was 5.1 (±1.4) at the time of OD development. The most commonly encountered ODs were oral candidiasis, tuberculosis and herpes zoster. There was statistically significant relationship between number of ODs and CD4+ T lymphocyte count and HIV RNA levels. Fatal diseases like Toxoplasma encephalitis, HIV encephalopathy and cytomegalovirus infection occurred more frequently when CD4+ T cell count was below 50 cells/mm3 and the viral load was high (>5 log). ODs were more frequently seen in cases with high viral load when the number of CD4+ T cell count was below 200/mm3. If viral load was over 5 log and the number of CD4+ T cells was low, the number of ODs was higher.

Conclusions: Oral candidiasis, tuberculosis, and herpes zoster have been the most commonly encountered ODs in Turkey. ODs occur more frequently in patients with low CD4+ T cell counts and high viral loads.