Abstract # D-02

Utilization of Phototherapy and Photochemotherapy (UV Therapy) for Treatment of Skin Conditions in HIV Infection in the U.S. J.Z. Beer1, D.K. Mills1, B.Z. Zmudzka1, K.Krell1, R.S. Stern2.   1CDRH, FDA, Rockville, MD, 2Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and cooperating investigators.

In many cases, skin conditions in HIV+ persons respond only to one of the therapies employing ultraviolet radiation (UV). We surveyed the indications for the use of UV therapy for HIV+ patients (pts.), the HIV infection status of these pts., and the UV modalities used. Basic data were collected (41 clinics at 18 locations with a high prevalence of HIV infection) on 3,716 UV therapy pts. (HIV+ and HIV-) of whom 54% were treated with UVB radiation, 38% with PUVA therapy (a photosenzitizng drug followed by UVA radiation), 5% with UVB+PUVA, and 3% with other UV therapies. Additional data were collected on 311 pts. known by the treating center to be HIV+. Among 68 pts., 84% had CD4+ counts in the 0-200 cells/mm3 range, 12% - in the 200-500 cells/mm3 range, and 4% had CD4+ counts >500 cells/mm3. More than 80% of HIV+ pts. received UVB and only 9% PUVA. Our data indicate substantial differences in indications for UV therapy between HIV- and HIV+ pts., as well as in the modalities used for these two categories of pts. Probably, the proportion of HIV+ UV therapy pts. determined by us (8.4%) is even higher considering that the HIV status of some patients is unknown.