Syphilis and HIV coinfection — Hungarian Sexually Transmitted Infection Centre Experience between 2005 and 2013

Background: STIs like HIV and syphilis are acquired as comorbidities by high risk populations and may influence their original course and prognosis. Methods: Be- tween January of 2005 and 2013 data of syphilis and HIV patients were collected at the Department of Dermatology of Semmelweis University, Budapest . Diagnostic proce- dures included clinical analysis and screening of serum samples for Treponema pallidum and HIV antibodies. Results: A total of 1,401 new syphilitic and 338 new HIV infections were diagnosed. In syphilis patients 86.58% had monoinfection, 7.92% already had an HIV infection and 5.5% had acquired syphilis and HIV infection simultaneously, so 22.78% of the new HIV patients acquired the infection with syphi - lis together. Male gender, MSM (men who had sex with men) orientation and positive past venerological history were dominant in all groups. Most patients were diagnosed in a latent infectious stage based on the result of a serological check-up. Secondary stage and neurosyphilis were more common in coinfections. Conclusion: (i) male gen - der, MSM orientation, and positive venerological history are risk factors for acquiring new STIs, (ii) clinical course were different in HIV infected patients, (iii) but their timely and regular check-ups resulted in earlier diagnosis of syphilis, suggesting the necessity for frequent screening