Effect of HIV-1 and Increasing Immunosuppression on Malaria Parasitaemia and Clinical Episodes in Adults in Rural Uganda: A Cohort Study [Whitworth J, et al. Lancet 2000;356:1051]: The authors examine the relationship between HIV and P. falciparum parasitaemia and clinical malaria. They found that parasitaemia was more common in persons with HIV infection and that low CD4 cell counts were associated with a higher parasite index. They conclude that the risk for clinical malaria is increased by a decline in the CD4 cell count.
Comment: There seems to be sparse reports of the relationship between malaria and HIV despite the high prevalence of both diseases in the developing world. Previous studies from Malawi [AIDS 1999;13:487] show that patients with malaria had an increase in their HIV viral load. The study summarized above reports that HIV increases the parasite index. Thus, this co-infection seems to promote both pathogens. posted 10/6/2000