Cutaneous manifestations in HIV/AIDS infections: Insight into prevalence patterns, CD4+correlations, and public health implications from a global perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66344/jpad.v36i1.3122Keywords:
HIV/AIDS infections, CD4, opportunistic infections, candidiasis, sarcoma, dermatological manifestationsAbstract
Cutaneous manifestations in patients with HIV/AIDS are used as clinical markers to identify disease progression and immune status; however, there is currently no comprehensive review examining this evidence. This comprehensive review aims to synthesize the evidence and analyze the prevalence patterns of skin manifestations, their correlation with CD4+ T-cell levels, and their public health implications. A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines by searching PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and GARUDA for literature from 2009 to 2024. Quantitative data on clinical manifestations were extracted from the original studies. A total of 4,700 studies were identified, of which 16 met the inclusion criteria of this review. Studies from Asia (n=9), Africa (n=5), South America, and the Middle East (n=1, respectively) were included. The findings indicate that mucocutaneous manifestations correlate with CD4+ levels, with individuals having >500 CD4+ cells/µL (seborrheic dermatitis and xerosis), 200–500 cells/µL (opportunistic infections, such as oral candidiasis [31%] and dermatophytosis [8%]), and 200 cells/µL (severe manifestations, such as Kaposi’s sarcoma and cryptococcal disease). The prevalence of oral candidiasis ranged from 11.6% to 81.1% and was significantly correlated with CD4+ T-cell levels (p<0.0001). Cutaneous clinical manifestations consistently appear in immunocompromised individuals and thus have the potential to serve as efficient clinical indicators, particularly in resource-limited settings.References
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