Syphilis management among HIV-infected persons

Diagnostic Considerations

• Although they are uncommon, unusual serologic responses have been observed among HIV-infected persons who have syphilis. Most reports have involved serologic titers that were higher than expected, but false-negative serologic test results and delayed appearance of seroreactivity also have been reported. Regardless, both treponemal and nontreponemal serologic tests for syphilis can be interpreted in the usual manner for most patients who are coinfected with T. pallidum and HIV.

• When clinical findings are suggestive of syphilis but serologic tests are nonreactive or their interpretation is unclear, alternative tests (e.g., biopsy of a lesion, darkfield examination, and PCR of lesion material) might be useful for diagnosis.

• Neurosyphilis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neurologic disease in HIV-infected persons.

Treatment

• Compared with HIV-negative patients, HIV-positive patients who have early syphilis might be at increased risk for neurologic complications [1] and might have higher rates of serologic treatment failure with currently recommended regimens. The magnitude of these risks is not defined precisely, but is likely small.

• No treatment regimens for syphilis have been demonstrated to be more effective in preventing neurosyphilis in HIV-infected patients than the syphilis regimens recommended for HIV-negative patients.

• Careful follow-up after therapy is essential.

Primary and Secondary Syphilis Among HIV-Infected Persons

Treatment

Treatment of primary and secondary syphilis among HIV-infected persons is benzathine penicillin G, 2.4 million units IM in a single dose.

Available data demonstrate that additional doses of benzathine penicillin G, amoxicillin, or other antibiotics in early syphilis do not result in enhanced efficacy, regardless of HIV status.

Other Management Considerations

• Most HIV-infected persons respond appropriately to standard benzathine penicillin for primary and secondary syphilis.

• CSF abnormalities (e.g., mononuclear pleocytosis and elevated protein levels) are common in HIV-infected persons, even in those without neurologic symptoms, although the clinical and prognostic significance of such CSF abnormalities with primary and secondary syphilis is unknown.

• Several studies have demonstrated that among persons infected with both HIV and syphilis, clinical and CSF abnormalities consistent with neurosyphilis are associated with a CD4 count of ≤350 cells/mL and/or an RPR titer of ≥1:32; however, unless neurologic symptoms are present, CSF examination in this setting has not been associated with improved clinical outcomes.

• The use of antiretroviral therapy as per current guidelines might improve clinical outcomes in HIV-infected persons with syphilis.

Special Considerations

• HIV-infected, penicillin-allergic patients who have primary or secondary syphilis should be managed according to the recommendations for penicillin-allergic, HIV-negative patients.

• Patients with penicillin allergy whose compliance with therapy or follow-up cannot be ensured should be desensitized and treated with penicillin.

• The use of alternatives to penicillin has not been well studied in HIV-infected patients. These therapies should be used only in conjunction with close serologic and clinical follow-up.

Follow-Up

• HIV-infected persons should be evaluated clinical and serologically for treatment failure at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 months after therapy.

• HIV-infected persons who meet the criteria for treatment failure (i.e., signs or symptoms that persist or recur or persons who have a sustained fourfold increase in nontreponemal test titer) should be managed in the same manner as HIV-negative patients (i.e., a CSF examination and retreatment).

• CSF examination and re-treatment also should be strongly considered for persons whose nontreponemal test titer do not decrease fourfold within 6-12 months of therapy.

• If CSF examination is normal, treatment with benzathine penicillin G administered as 2.4 million units IM each at weekly intervals for 3 weeks is recommended.

Latent Syphilis Among HIV-Infected Persons

Treatment

• HIV-infected persons with latent syphilis should be treated according to the stage-specific recommendations for HIV-negative persons.

• Treatment of early latent syphilis among HIV-infected persons is benzathine penicillin G, 2.4 million units IM in a single dose.

• Treatment of late latent syphilis or syphilis of unknown duration among HIV-infected persons is benzathine penicillin G, at weekly doses of 2.4 million units for 3 weeks.

Other Management Considerations

• All HIV-infected persons with syphilis and neurologic symptoms should undergo immediate CSF examination.

• Some studies have demonstrated that clinical and CSF abnormalities consistent with neurosyphilis are most likely in HIV-infected persons who have been diagnosed with syphilis and have a CD4 count of ≤350 cells/ml and/or an RPR titer of ≥1:32; however unless neurologic symptoms are present, CSF examination in this setting has not been associated with improved clinical outcomes.

Special Considerations

• The efficacy of alternative non-penicillin regimens in HIV-infected persons has not been well studied.

• Patients with penicillin allergy whose compliance with therapy or follow-up cannot be ensured should be desensitized and treated with penicillin.

• These therapies should be used only in conjunction with close serologic and clinical follow-up.

• Limited clinical studies, along with biologic and pharmacologic evidence, suggest that ceftriaxone might be effective. However, the optimal dose and duration of ceftriaxone therapy have not been defined.

Follow-Up

• Patients should be evaluated clinically and serologically at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after therapy.

• If, at any time, clinical symptoms develop or nontreponemal titers rise fourfold, a repeat CSF examination should be performed and treatment administered accordingly.

• If during 12-24 months the nontreponemal titer does not decline fourfold, CSF examination should be strongly considered and treatment administered accordingly.

Neurosyphilis Among HIV-Infected Persons

Treatment

HIV-infected patients with neurosyphilis should be treated according to the recommendations for HIV-negative patients with neurosyphilis.

Special considerations

• HIV-infected, penicillin-allergic patients who have neurosyphilis should be managed according to the recommendations for penicillin-allergic, HIV-negative patients with neurosyphilis.

• Several small observational studies conducted in HIV-infected patients with neurosyphilis suggest that ceftriaxone 1-2 g IV daily for 10-14 days might be effective as an alternate agent.

Follow-up

• If CSF pleocytosis was present initially, a CSF examination should be repeated every 6 months until the cell count is normal.

• Follow-up CSF examinations also can be used to gauge response after therapy.

• Limited data suggest that changes in CSF parameters might occur more slowly in HIV-infected patients, especially those with more advanced immunosuppression.

• If the cell count has not decreased after 6 months or if the CSF is not normal after 2 years, retreatment should be considered.

References

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