| Title | Characteristics of HIV-1-associated Kaposi's sarcoma among women and men in South Africa. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2008 |
| Authors | Mosam, A., H. P. Hurkchand, E. Cassol, T. Page, S. Cassol, U. Bodasing, J. Aboobaker, H. Dawood, G. H. Friedland, and H. M. Coovadia |
| Journal | International journal of STD & AIDS |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pagination | 400-5 |
| Date Published | 2008 Jun |
| ISSN | 0956-4624 |
| Keywords | Adult, AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, HIV-1, Humans, Male, Sarcoma, Kaposi, South Africa |
| Abstract | Despite the increase of HIV-1-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), little is known about HIV-associated KS in the African setting, particularly among women. A descriptive study of the demographic, clinical, immunological and virological features of AIDS-associated KS from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa was undertaken. Consecutively, recruited patients were clinically staged; CD4/CD8 cell counts, HIV-1 viral loads and clinical parameters were evaluated. Of the 152 patients (77 male and 75 female) 99% were black. Females were significantly younger (P = 0.02) and had poorer disease prognosis (odds ratio [OR] = 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-5.4, P = 0.003) and were more likely to have extensive cutaneous KS when compared with males (OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.4-6.7, P = 0.003). One-third of patients had coexisting HIV-related disease, most commonly tuberculosis, and these were more frequent in females (56.7 vs. 43.3%). In conclusion, HIV-associated KS in South Africans has an equal female-to-male ratio. Females are younger and have more severe disease than males. |
| DOI | 10.1258/ijsa.2008.007301 |
| Alternate Journal | Int J STD AIDS |
