Objective To investigate the effects of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)infection on white matter hyperintensity(WMH)and its risk factors.Methods All 266 patients diagnosed with HIV infection in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2023 with brain magnetic resonance examination(MRI)were collected as the study group.In addition,282 cases of non-HIV infected patients who underwent MRI were collected as the control group,and there was no difference in demographic data between the two groups.The occurrence of WMH,general information and indexes of all patients were observed and recorded.Results The incidence of WMH in the HIV-positive group was higher than that in the negative group(P<0.05).Univariate analysis showed that the age,neutrophil percentage,lymphocyte percentage and systemic immunoinflammatory index(SII)of HIV-positive patients with WMH were higher than those without WMH(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that age,neutrophil percentage,lymphocyte percentage and SII were independent risk factors for WMH in HIV-infected patients(P<0.05).Conclusion HIV-infected persons may be more prone to WMH,and age,neutrophil percentage,lymphocyte percentage and SII are risk factors for WMH in HIV-infected persons.