SYPHILIS AND HIV COMORBIDITY: NEGATIVE CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGIC SYNERGY

Abstract

Recently, management of patients co-infected with syphilis and HIV infection is becoming an increasingly important problem. Similarity of circumstances and ways of HIV and syphilis transmission as well as populations at risk of infection suggests that in the coming years the number of cases of co-infection will increase. The .negative synergy. of HIV infection and syphilis has been proven. This means a mutual reinforcement of the negative effect, when each of the diseases in their combination is more unfavorable than the separately existing disease. Syphilis increases the likelihood of HIV acquisition and transmission during unprotected sexual intercourse and contributes to the progression of HIV infection. On the other hand, it is traditionally believed that concomitant HIV infection can significantly change clinical features and course of syphilis and make its diagnosis and treatment more complicated. However, the widespread use of antiretroviral therapy has allowed to significantly reduce this negative effect. The review article is devoted to the problem of the biological and epidemiological .synergy. of these two infections, as well as to the analysis of modern data on the clinical features of syphilis developing against the background of HIV infection.