Increased cutaneous toxicity to ionizing radiation in HIV-positive patients

Background: There are reports of increased reactions in HIV-1 + patients to ultraviolet light sometimes in association with medication. In addition, there are also reports of increased morbidity associated with radiation therapy in HIV-1+ patients. Methods: Three HIV-1+ patients developed cutaneous toxic reactions to radiation therapy; two with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and one with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Conclusions: Although the mechanisms which resulted in these reactions are not clear, they may be related to depletion of endogenous scavengers and may be accentuated by the pattern of immune dysregulation present in HIV-1 disease.