Volume 10, Number 8—August 2004
Dispatch
Syphilis in the HIV Era
Sigall Kassutto*
and John P. Doweiko*
and John P. Doweiko*Table
Selected laboratory results 1 month after therapy for neurosyphilis in HIV-positive patient with neurosyphilisa
| Laboratory test | Result |
|---|---|
| Complete blood count | |
| Leukocytes | 5,700/μL |
| Hematocrit | 36% |
| Platelets | 295,000/μL |
| Electrolytes and renal function tests | Within normal limits |
| Liver function tests | Within normal limits |
| Cerebrospinal fluid evaluation | |
| Leukocytes | 8 cells/μL |
| Differential | 100% lymphocytes |
| Erythrocytes | 9 cells/μL |
| Protein | 33 mg/dL |
| Glucose | 78 mg/dL |
| CSF-VDRL | negative |
| HIV-1 testing | |
| ELISA + WB | positive |
| CD4 count | 899 cells/μL |
| Viral load (RT-PCR) | 878 copies/mL |
| Rapid plasma reagin testing | |
| Baseline | 1:128 |
| 1 month posttreatment | 1:32 |
| 3 months posttreatment | Nonreactive |
aCSF-VDRL, cerebrospinal fluid venereal disease research laboratory test; ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; WB, Western blot; RT-PCR, reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction.
