Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of HIV-positive patients with early syphilis who received benzathine penicillin G or azithromycin
| Characteristics | Benzathine penicillin G, n=119 | Azithromycin, N=198 | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD), years | 32.7 (8.7) | 33.4 (7.5) | 0.48 |
| Male gender, n (%) | 119 (100) | 197 (99.5) | >0.99 |
| MSM, n (%) | 117 (98.3) | 195 (98.0) | 0.83 |
| CD4 count, mean (SD), cells/µL | 396.4 (239.4) | 544.6 (246.6) | <0.001 |
| Plasma HIV RNA load <50 copies/mL, n (%) |
26 (21.8) | 127 (64.1) | <0.001 |
| Receipt of cART at the diagnosis of syphilis, n (%) | 67 (56.3) | 162 (81.8) | <0.001 |
| Prior penicillin therapy for syphilis, n (%) | 29 (24.3) | 138 (69.7) | <0.001 |
| Median RPR titre (IQR) | 1:64 (32–128) | 1:64 (16–128) | 0.15 |
| RPR ≥1:32, n (%) | 99 (83.1) | 144 (72.7) | 0.03 |
| Stage of syphilis, n (%) | <0.001 | ||
| Primary | 13 (10.9) | 35 (17.7) | |
| Secondary | 105 (88.2) | 60 (30.3) | |
| Early latent | 1 (0.8) | 103 (52.0) | |
| Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, n (%) | 67 (56.3) | 28 (14.1) | <0.001 |
| Onset of Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction following treatment (IQR), hours | 4 (3–6) | 8 (5–19) | 0.012 |
cART=combination antiretroviral therapy; IQR=interquartile range; MSM=men who have sex with men; SD=standard deviation; RPR=rapid plasma reagin.