Opportunistic infections in people living with HIV/AIDS in a reference service in Southern Brazil

Introduction: Infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a public health problem since the virus causes depletion of CD4 T lymphocytes with impaired immunity and may progress to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Objective: This study aimed to verify prevailing opportunistic infections (OIs) in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV/AIDS), aged 18 years or older, from 2009 to 2019 in a Specialized Assistance Service in the city of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (n=2299). Methodology: The variables analyzed were opportunistic infections, gender, skin color, age, education, marital status, heterosexual relationships, homosexual relationships, antiretroviral therapy, smokers, alcohol users, illicit drug users, AIDS diagnosis, and CD4 T cell count. Results: OIs were present in 30.6%, including oral candidiasis 22.26%, pulmonary tuberculosis 13.28%, herpes zoster 10.85%, pneumocystosis 10.48%, neurotoxoplasmosis 8.89%, herpes simplex 8.50%, vaginal candidiasis 5.89%, and esophageal candidiasis 4.21%. After adjusted analysis, the prevalence of OIs was 32% higher in illicit drug users and 2.3 times greater in people with AIDS; nonetheless, individuals with current CD4 T lymphocytes count >500 cell/mm³ had a 38% lower prevalence of OIs. Conclusions: Therefore, the results demonstrated that OIs are more prevalent in people using illicit drugs and with AIDS, and the lower the CD4 T lymphocytes count, the higher the prevalence; however, early diagnosis, initiation of antiretroviral therapy, and continuous follow-up of people living with HIV/AIDS reduce OIs.