HIV and asthma, is there an association?

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate whether asthma and airway hyper-responsiveness are associated with HIV infection.

Methods: We reviewed the literature on HIV-associated pulmonary diseases, pulmonary symptoms, and immune changes which may play a role in asthma. The information was analyzed comparing the pre-HAART era to the post-HAART era data.

Results: HIV-seropositive individuals commonly experience respiratory complaints yet it is unclear if the frequency of these complaints have changed with the initiation of HAART. Changes in pulmonary function testing and serum IgE are seen with HIV infection even in the post-HAART era. An increased prevalence of asthma among HIV-seropositive children treated with HAART has been reported.

Conclusion: The spectrum of HIV-associated pulmonary disease has changed with the introduction of HAART. Current data is limited to determine if asthma and airway hyper-responsiveness are more common among HIV-seropositive individuals treated with HAART.