Frequency and risk factors of infectious complications in neutropenic patients infected with HIV

Objective: To determine causes, incidence and factors associated with infections in neutropenic [polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) < 1000 x 10(6)/l] HIV-infected patients. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Infectious disease service of a 1000-bed university teaching hospital in Paris, France. Patients: HIV-infected patients with a PMN count of < 1000 x 10(6)/l confirmed on two occasions were included in the study. Baseline characteristics, cause of neutropenia and occurrence of infectious episodes were analysed. Results: The cause of neutropenia was lymphoma in four cases (6.5%), antineoplastic chemotherapy in seven (11.3%), zidovudine in 32 (51%), trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) in 28 (45%) and ganciclovir in 11 (18%). Fifteen patients (24%) developed infectious complications. Neutropenia induced by chemotherapy or lymphoma was more frequently complicated by infectious episodes (P = 0.02). Neutropenia in the previous 3 months (P = 0.05), presence of a central venous catheter (P = 0.05) and a trough PMN count (P = 0.02) were the three risk factors of infection retained in a logistic model. Conclusion: Neutropenia induced by zidovudine, gangiclovir or TMP-SMX, are less complicated by infectious episodes than neutropenia induced by antineoplastic chemotherapy. Overall, infectious episodes in neutropenic HIV-infected patients appear lower than in patients with haemobiologic malignancies.