Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction after penicillin therapy among patients with syphilis in the era of the hiv infection epidemic: incidence and risk factors

Clin Infect Dis. 2010 Oct 15;51(8):976-9. doi: 10.1086/656419.

Abstract

The incidence of and risk factors for Jarisch-Herxheimer (JH) reaction were investigated prospectively among 240 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and 115 HIV-uninfected patients with syphilis who received penicillin treatment. The overall rate of JH reaction was 31.5% (34.6% in HIV-infected patients and 25.2% in HIV-uninfected patients). In multivariate analysis, risk factors for JH reaction included high rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titers (per log(2) RPR increase, risk ratio [RR], 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.37), early syphilis (RR, 8.59; 95% CI, 4.75-15.56), and prior penicillin treatment (RR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.20-0.78).

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Exanthema / chemically induced*
  • Exanthema / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Fever / chemically induced*
  • Fever / epidemiology
  • HIV Infections / complications
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Penicillins / administration & dosage*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Reagins / blood
  • Risk Factors
  • Syphilis / complications*
  • Syphilis / drug therapy*
  • Syphilis / pathology
  • Vasodilation*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Penicillins
  • Reagins