Comparison of inflammatory cells in rectal cytology samples of HIV-infected MSM with asymptomatic, symptomatic and without rectal CT/NG infection
| No CT/NG infection (n=85*) | Asymptomatic CT/NG infection (n=9*) | Symptomatic CT/NG infection (n=8*) | ||||||
| Cytologies pos. n/total (%) | Median density† | Cytologies pos. n/total (%) | Median density† | Relative risk‡ (95% CI, P) | Cytologies pos. n/total (%) | Median density† | Relative risk‡ (95% CI, P) | |
| Granulocytes | 39/85 (45.9) | (+) | 3/9 (33.3) | (+) | 0.812 (0.559 to 1.565, P=0.727) | 7/8 (87.5) | ++ | 4.329 (1.120 to 24.310, P=0.030) |
| Lymphocytes | 7/85 (8.2) | (+) | 1/9 (11.1) | (+) | 1.032 (0.900 to 1.629, P=0.568) | 5/8 (62.5) | + | 2.447 (1.314 to 6.717, P<0.001) |
| Histiocytes | 5/85 (5.9) | (+) | 1/9 (11.1) | (+) | 1.059 (0.931 to 1.669, P=0.463) | 5/8 (62.5) | + | 2.519 (1.355 to 6.909, P<0.001) |
*Total n=102: seven data sets excluded due to failed CT/NG nucleic acid amplification tests and one data set excluded due to insufficient quality of cytology sample (compare with table 1).
†Median cell density of cytology samples positive for the respective cell type (from (+) to +++; see the Methods section); samples negative for the respective cell type were not included in the analysis.
‡Relative risk for the detection of the respective cell type compared with cytology samples from participants without CT/NG infection (Fisher’s exact test).
CT/NG, Chlamydia trachomatis and/or Neisseria gonorrhoeae; MSM, men who have sex with men.