Low CD4+ T cell counts are not risk factor for Malassezia species infection in HIV/AIDS patients

Abstract

Human immunodefiiency virus (HIV) infection and aquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
cause a progressive depletion of CD4+ T cell populations accompanied by progressive impairment
of cellular immunity and increasing susceptibility to opportunistic infections. Seborrheic dermatitis
is one of the most common skin opportunistic infections on HIV/AIDS patients. Malassezia
species is bilieved as the causative of seborrheic dermatitis. The aim of the study was to evaluate
low CD4+ T cell counts as risk factor for Malassezia sp. infection in HIV/AIDS patients. This was
an observational study with cross-sectional design conducted on HIV/AIDS patients who attended
in Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Gadjah Mada/
Dr Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Culture of
Malassezia sp. was conducted in Department of Microbiology and classified as high (>100 CFU/
tape) and low (<100 CFU/tape) density colonies. CD4+ T cell counts were measured in Department
of Clinical Pathology and classified as high (>200 cells/mm3) and low (<200 cells/mm3) CD4+ T
cell counts. A total of 83 subjects with HIV/AIDS comprising 54 (65.1%) males and 29 (34.9%)
females aged 20 - >60 years were involved in the study. The number of Malassezia sp. colony
on subjects with high and low CD4+ T cell counts were 31.55 ± 26.21 and 25.2 ± 33.89 CFU/
tape, respectively. No significantly relationship between between CD4+ T cell count and Malassezia
sp. colony number was observed in the study (p=0.607; 95%CI=0.04-5.19; RP=0.452). In
conclusion, low CD4+ T cell counts is not risk factor for Malassezia sp. infection in HIV/AIDS
patients.