Table 1. Characteristics of included studies.
| Author | Number1 | Country of study | HIV treatment |
Pharmacological regimen | Follow-up period | Outcome measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cousins (39) 2012 | 62 (3 dose) Unclear (1 dose) | United Kingdom | Unspecified: Some patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) | 1 dose: BP-G 2.54 MU versus 3 doses: BP-G 2.4 MU | 12 months | Serological cure (4-fold decrease in serum RPR or serofast for 12 months) |
| Knaute (40) 2012 | 88 | Switzerland | Not specified | 1 dose: BP-G 2.4 MU versus 3 doses: BP-G 2.4 MU | 3, 6, 8, 9, 12, 18, 24 months | Serological Response (VDRL, TPPA, Pathozyme IgM) |
| Tittes (41) 2013 | 84 | Austria | 44% (35/80) were on ART | 1 dose: BP-G 2.4 MU versus 3 doses: BP-G 2.4 MU | 3, 6 and 12 months | Serological cure (4-fold decrease in VDRL within 6 months) Time to cure (days) |
| Yang (45) 2014 | 420 | Taiwan | 63.2% (362) on combination ART | 1 dose: BP-G 2.4 MU versus 3 doses: BP-G 2.4 MU | 6 and 12 months | Serological response (4-fold decrease or greater in RPR titres at 12 month follow-up) |
| Ganesan (38) 2015 | 286 (393 infections2) | United States | 59% used Highly active retroviral therapy (H) at first syphilis case | 1 dose: BP-G2.4 MU versus ≥2 doses: BP-G 2.4 MU | 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 months | Serologic response Seroconversion |
Abbreviations: BP-G, benzathine penicillin G; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; IgM, immunoglobulin M; MU, million units; RPR, rapid plasma regain test; VDRL, Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test; TPPA, Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay. 1 Number of study participants analyzed and not necessarily the total number of infections 2 Reflects the number of cases as some study subjects contributed more than one infection