Author Response

Authors' Response

Authors: Mayar Al Mohajer MD, Thomas P. Giordano MD, MPH, Jose A. Serpa MD, MS

Abstract

To the Editor: In our article we found that the prevalence of eosinophilia in our cohort of ART (antiretroviral therapy)-naïve patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was 9.7%.1 This is slightly higher than similar rates reported in other studies performed in developed countries (Switzerland 6.3%,2 the Netherlands 6.3%,3 and the United States 5.5%4). Studies in developing countries showed much higher rates of eosinophilia in HIV-infected patients (Brazil 18%,5 Zimbabwe 23.5%,6 and Venezuela 28.2%7). In addition, a study in the United Kingdom by Sivaram et al demonstrated a rate of 19.5%; however, most of the patients in that study were from developed countries or had resided there for an extended period (58%).8

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References

1. Al Mohajer M, Villarreal-Williams E, Andrade RA, et al. Eosinophilia and associated factors in a large cohort of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. South Med J 2014;107:554-558.
 
2. Tietz A, Sponagel L, Erb P, et al. Eosinophilia in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1997;16:675-677.
 
3. van der Graaf W, Borleffs JC. Eosinophilia in patients with HIV-1 infection. Eur J Haematol 1994;52:246-247.
 
4. Cohen AJ, Steigbigel RT. Eosinophilia in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. J Infect Dis 1996;174:615-618.
 
5. Caterino-de-Araujo A. HIV-1 infection and eosinophilia. Immunol Today 1994;15:498-499.
 
6. Adewuyi JO, Coutts AM, Latif AS, et al. Haematologic features of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in adult Zimbabweans. Cent Afr J Med 1999;45:26-30.
 
7. Sanchez-Borges M, Orozco A, Di Biagio E, et al. Eosinophilia in early-stage human immunodefciency virus infection. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1993;92:494-495.
 
8. Sivaram M, White A, Radcliffe KW. Eosinophilia: clinical significance in HIV-infected individuals. Int J STD AIDS 2012;23:635-638.