Peripheral nervous system involvement in a large cohort of human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals.

OBJECTIVE: In individuals who were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) we determined the prevalence of peripheral neuropathies (PNs) and explored the relationship between immunologic competence and nerve function. DESIGN: Cohort survey. SETTING: US Air Force medical center. PATIENTS: Population based. Seven hundred ninety-eight of 817 HIV-positive personnel identified by US Air Force HIV screening program from 1985 to 1989. Average age of cohort was 29.2 years. The majority were male with early-stage HIV disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Neurologists examined all subjects for symptoms and signs of PN. We grouped patients by CD4 T-lymphocyte count. We further studied 300 HIV-infected volunteers without clinical evidene of PN by nervex