Acute arthritis in Zimbabwean patients: possible relationship to human immunodeficiency virus infection

The clinical features of an acute arthritis in 20 Zimbabwean patients, 17 of whom fulfilled criteria for the diagnosis of complete or incomplete Reiter's syndrome, are described. Fourteen of 19 patients tested were positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies and most had features of the AIDS related complex. None of 14 patients tested possessed the HLA-B27 tissue antigen commonly associated with Reiter's syndrome. The relationship between HIV infection, immunogenetic factors and the arthropathy we have observed remains to be elucidated.