SPONDYLOARTHROPATHY AND HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS INFECTION IN ZAMBIA

Objective, To explore the relationship between spondyloarthropathy (Sp A) and infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in black Zambians. Methods. Consecutive patients attending an arthritis clinic in a 30 month period were assessed clinically and tested for the prese nce of antibodies to HIV. HLA-B27 gene was investigated by polymerase chain reaction and T cell subsets were tested in selected subgroups. R esults. Of 595 new attendees, 272 were diagnosed with SpA [130 reactiv e arthritis (ReA), 128 undifferentiated SpA(uSpA), 13 psoriatic arthri tis (PsA), 1 ankylosing spondylitis] and 146 with a reactive type arth ritis alone (AA) without preceding clinical trigger infection or SpA f eatures. HIV seroprevalence was 98% in uSpA, 94% PsA, 87% ReA, 64% AA; vs similar to 50% among hospital outpatients and 30% of the adult urb an population. Prevalence of SpA is calculated at similar to 180/100,0 00 in HIV positive and similar to 15/100,000 in HIV negative in the ge neral population. Dysentery was the most common identified trigger. Po sitive HIV status correlated strongly with SpA features and aggressive sustained disease. At onset 80% of patients were in WHO clinical stag e 1 (no disease or lymphadenopathy alone), with a mean CD4+ count of 2 79/mu l. Stage 4 patients had a mean CD4+ count of 60/mu l and inactiv e arthritis. The B27 gene was absent in 30 patients tested. Conclusion , ReA is the most common inflammatory joint disorder in black Zambians and is closely linked to HIV infection and not B27, even though our s ubjects had clinical and radiological characteristics similar to those reported in HLA-B27 positive Caucasians. The changing epidemiology of SpA in this region has important practical and educational implicatio ns.