Clinico-epidemiological characteristics of HIV-positive immigrants: study of 371 cases

Introduction: The number of HIV-positive immigrants have increased in Spain in the last few years, and now represent a significant proportion of the epidemic. Our objective is to describe the clinico-epidemiological characteristics of HIV-positive immigrants seen in a specialist unit in Madrid. Material and methods: Retrospective study. Every patient born in a country other than Spain and attended an HIV Unit in Madrid between 1992 and 2009 was included. Results: Of the 371 patients included, 53.1% were Latin Americans, 24.5% Sub-Saharan Africans, and 22.4% others), and 60% were males. Immigrants represented 0.3% of new patients in 1992 and rose to 49.2% in 2009. The principal reason for HIV testing had been pregnancy/delivery among women (32.7%) and having a category-B disease among men (17.4%). Sexual transmission accounted for 92% of patients. Tuberculosis was the principal AIDS-diagnosing illness. Respectively 90%, 7.7%, 60%, 26.7%, 96% and 95% of patients had an IgG for HAV, HCV, Toxoplasma, Treponema, CMV and VZV. VHB-Ags+: 5.4%; PPD+: 17%. At least one syphilis episode was recorded in 62% of the men who have sex with men (MSM). Prevalence of HLA-B5701 was 6%, 0.9% and 3.8% in Caucasians, Amerindians and Afro-Americans, respectively. Conclusions: Immigrants represent a significant proportion of new HIV-positive patients. It is a very heterogeneous group according to their clinical and epidemiological characteristics. (C) 2011 Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.