[Urinary porphyrin excretion in human immunodeficiency virus infection].

OBJECTIVES

Porphyria cutanea tarda has been reported in about 60 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) since 1987. We looked for porphyrin metabolism disorders in HIV infected patients without patent porphyria cutanea tarda.

METHODS

Urinary porphyrin excretion was measured in 64 patients with an HIV infection.

RESULTS

Excreted levels were abnormal in 23 patients (36%) including 4 (6%) with patterns highly suggestive of porphyria cutanea tarda. One of these patients developed the disease 2 years later. In 15 patients (23%) there was a significant increase in coproporphyrinuria. Minimal alterations in uroporphyrin or its precursors were seen in the other patients. Abnormal excretion was significantly more frequent in patients with hepatopathy and in patients who had progressed to AIDS.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that HIV infection does not play a direct role in altered porphyrin metabolism because of the frequency of liver disorders observed in these patients.