Prevalence of cryptococcal meningitis in AIDS patients in China: a Meta-analysis

Abstract:

Objective To understand the prevalence of cryptococcal meningitis (CM) associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the disease burden in different regions in China. Methods Relevant literatures published up to October 10, 2022 were systematically retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform. Stata 17.0 software was used for Meta-analysis. Results The random-effects model showed that the overall prevalence of AIDS/CM in China was 2.8% (95%CI: 1.9%-3.8%). The prevalence in southern China (3.3%) was higher than that in northern China (1.8%). The highest prevalence was in Southwest China (3.5%), while the lowest in North China (2.0%). The prevalence of AIDS/CM during the period of extensive antiretroviral therapy (ART) (2.7%) was lower than that during the period of limited ART (2.9%). Conclusion The disease burden of CM/AIDS patients in China is heavy, with higher prevalence in the South compared to the North. The overall prevalence of AIDS/CM has declined after the extensive implementation of ART.