HIV-positive Cohort Research Articles

Neurocognitive outcomes of tuberculous meningitis in a primarily HIV-positive Ugandan cohort

Background: The toll of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) in both mortality and disability is considerable, but advancements in rehabilitation have the potential to improve the functional abilities and the quality of survivors’ lives. However, the typical phenotype of neurocognitive impairment in TBM survivors remains unstudied in HIV-predominant populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: We tested 36 survivors of TBM in Uganda with a comprehensive battery of neurocognitive assessments at 8 and 24 weeks after diagnosis, and compared results to a representative cohort of HIV-uninfected Ugandans. Results: While participants had a broad range of impairments at eight weeks, there was marked improvement by 24 weeks, when a phenotype of impairment including deficits in motor functioning, verbal learning and memory, processing speed, and executive function emerged. These deficits were present despite good clinician-rated functional status. The majority (23/27, 85%) had evidence of moderate to severe depression at week 8, and at week 24 (18/24, 75%). Conclusion: These findings highlight the need for more comprehensive neurocognitive assessment in the survivors of TBM, and further investment in and study of rehabilitation, including management of depression, to improve long-term outcomes in this population.

Prevalence and risk factors of chronic kidney disease in an HIV positive Mexican cohort

BackgroundHIV subjects have several kidney pathologies, like HIV-associated nephropathy or antiretroviral therapy injury, among others. The global prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is 8–16%; however, in HIV subjects, the prevalence varies between geographic regions (2–38%). The aim was to determine the prevalence of CKD and identify the associated risk factors.MethodsA longitudinal descriptive study was carried out at the 'Hospital Civil de Guadalajara' Feb'18 – Jan'19. Basal clinical, demographic, opportunistic infections (OI), and laboratory data were obtained at months 0 and 3; inclusion criteria were ≥ 18 years old, naïve HIV + , urine albumin/creatinine ratio, serum creatinine & urine test, and signed informed consent. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression statistical analyses were made.ResultsOne hundred twenty subjects were included; 92.5% were male, 33 ± 9.5 years, 60% consumed tobacco, 73% alcohol, and 59% some type of drug. The CKD prevalence was 15.8%. CKD patients had a higher risk of hepatitis C virus coinfection, Relative Risk (RR):5.9; HCV infection, RR:4.3; ≥ 30 years old, RR:3.9; C clinical-stage, RR:3.5; CD4+ T cells count < 200 cells/μL, RR: 2.4; and HIV-1 viral load ≥ 100,000 cop/mL, RR: 2.7.ConclusionsOur study showed a higher CKD prevalence in patients with HIV; higher CKD development with coinfections as Hepatitis C Virus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The identification and prompt management of CKD and coinfections should be considered to avoid the progression and to delay renal replacement therapy as long as possible.

Comparative incidence of adverse drug reaction during the first and subsequent year of antiretroviral therapy in a Nigerian HIV infected Cohort.

Despite close to two decades of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Nigeria, data on late on-onset ART-associated adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are sparse. To describe early and late-onset ADRs and compare their incidence in an outpatient HIV positive Cohort on ART. We described the incidence of clinical ADRs identified and documented in an outpatient clinic cohort of HIV-positive patients treated between June 2004 and December 2015 at a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. Incidence rates of ADRs during the first and subsequent years of ART were compared. of the 13,983 patients' data analyzed, 9317 were females (66%), and those in the age bracket of 25 to 45 years made up 78% of the studied population. During 52,411 person-years (py) of ART, 1485 incident ADRs were recorded; Incidence rate (IR) 28.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 26.9:29.8) ADRs per 1000 person-years (py) of ART. The IR of ADRs was about two times higher in the first year of ART compared to subsequent years of treatment; crude incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.77 (95% CI 1.59:1.97). Anemia, hypersensitivity reactions, and nervous system disorders had 7, 23, and 5 times higher incidence, respectively, in the first year of therapy, compared to subsequent years. The first year of ART is the period of highest risk of ADRs. Individual and programmatic treatment success in resource-limited settings requires strategies for early identification and management of ADR during the period of greatest risk of ADRs.

Associations of Hepatosteatosis With Cardiovascular Disease in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Patients: The Liverpool HIV-Heart Project.

Hepatosteatosis (HS) has been associated with cardiovascular disorders in the general population. We sought to investigate whether HS is a marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in HIV-positive individuals, given that metabolic syndrome is implicated in the increasing CVD burden in this population. To investigate the association of HS with CVD in HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals. We analyzed computed tomography (CT) images of 1306 subjects of whom 209 (16%) were HIV-positive and 1097 (84%) HIV-negative. CVD was quantified by the presence of coronary calcification from both dedicated cardiac CT and nondedicated thorax CT. HS was diagnosed from CT data sets in those with noncontrast dedicated cardiac CT and those with venous phase liver CT using previously validated techniques. Previous liver ultrasound was also assessed for the presence of HS. The HIV-positive group had lower mean age (P < 0.005), higher proportions of male sex (P < 0.005), and more current smokers (P < 0.005). The HIV-negative group had higher proportions of hypertension (P < 0.005), type II diabetes (P = 0.032), dyslipidemia (P < 0.005), statin use (P = 0.008), and HS (P = 0.018). The prevalence of coronary calcification was not significantly different between the groups. Logistic regression (LR) demonstrated that in the HIV-positive group, increasing age [odds ratio (OR): 1.15, P < 0.005], male sex (OR 3.37, P = 0.022), and HS (OR 3.13, P = 0.005) were independently associated with CVD. In the HIV-negative group, increasing age (OR: 1.11, P < 0.005), male sex (OR 2.97, P < 0.005), current smoking (OR 1.96, P < 0.005), and dyslipidemia (OR 1.66, P = 0.03) were independently associated with CVD. Using a machine learning random forest algorithm to assess the variables of importance, the top 3 variables of importance in the HIV-positive group were age, HS, and male sex. In the HIV-negative group, the top 3 variables were age, hypertension and male sex. The LR models predicted CVD well, with the mean area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) for the HIV-positive and HIV-negative cohorts being 0.831 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.713 to 0.928] and 0.786 (95% CI: 0.735 to 0.836), respectively. The random forest models outperformed LR models, with a mean AUC in HIV-positive and HIV-negative populations of 0.877 (95% CI: 0.775 to 0.959) and 0.828 (95% CI: 0.780 to 0.873) respectively, with differences between both methods being statistically significant. In contrast to the general population, HS is a strong and independent predictor of CVD in HIV-positive individuals. This suggests that metabolic dysfunction may be attributable to the excess CVD risk seen with these patient groups. Assessment of HS may help accurate quantification of CVD risk in HIV-positive patients.

A cohort study revealed high mortality among people who inject drugs in Hai Phong, Vietnam

ObjectiveTo estimate the residual mortality rate among people who inject drugs (PWID) in a Low-Middle Income Countries context where the HIV epidemic has been controlled and methadone coverage is high. Study design and settingPWID from Haiphong, Vietnam, were recruited through three annual respondent-driven sampling surveys that fueled two cohorts of PWID with HIV (n = 761) and without HIV (n = 897), with bi-annual follow-up. Presumed causes of death were ascertained from medical records and/or interviews of participants family. ResultsAmong the 1658 participants with a median follow-up of 2 years, 67 and 36 died in the HIV-positive and HIV-negative cohort, respectively, yielding crude mortality rates of 4.3 (95% Confidence interval (CI): 3.3-5.4) per 100 person-years of follow-up (PYFU) and 1.9 (CI: 1.4-2.6) per 100 PYFU. In the HIV-positive cohort, in which 81% of participants had undetectable viral load, the two main causes of death were tuberculosis and HIV-related diseases. In the HIV-negative cohort, the two main causes of death were liver-related diseases and overdose. In a time-dependent multivariable model, “unsuppressed viral load” was associated with increased risk of mortality, whereas “being on methadone” or “being employed” was associated with a lower risk. ConclusionDespite a very successful HIV and methadone program, the mortality remains high among PWID in Vietnam, largely due to curable infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and viral hepatitis.

Surgical Outcomes of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-positive Patients Undergoing Lumbar Degenerative Surgery.

This was a retrospective cohort studying using a national administrative database. The objective of this study was to determine the postoperative complications and quality outcomes of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients undergoing surgical management for lumbar degenerative disease (LDD). This study identified patients with who underwent surgery for LDD between 2007 and 2016. Patients were stratified based on whether they were HIV positive at the time of surgery. Multivariate regression was utilized to reduce the confounding of baseline covariates. Patients who underwent 3 or more levels of surgical correction were under the age of 18 years, or those with any prior history of trauma or tumor were excluded from this study. Baseline comorbidities, postoperative complication rates, and reoperation rates were determined. A total of 120,167 patients underwent primary lumbar degenerative surgery, of which 309 (0.26%) were HIV positive. In multivariate regression analysis, the HIV-positive cohort was more likely to be readmitted at 30 days [odds ratio (OR)=1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-2.8], 60 days (OR=1.7, 95% CI: 1.2-2.5), and 90 days (OR=1.5, 95% CI: 1.0-2.2). The HIV-positive cohort was also more likely to experience any postoperative complication (OR=1.7, 95% CI: 1.2-2.3). Of the major drivers identified, HIV-positive patients had significantly greater odds of cerebrovascular disease and postoperative neurological complications (OR=3.8, 95% CI: 1.8-6.9) and acute kidney injury (OR=3.4, 95% CI: 1.3-7.1). Costs of index hospitalization were not significantly different between the 2 cohorts ($30,056 vs. $29,720, P=0.6853). The total costs were also similar throughout the 2-year follow-up period. Patients who are HIV positive at the time of LDD surgery are at a higher risk for postoperative central nervous system and renal complications and unplanned readmissions.

Ambulatory induction phase treatment of cryptococcal meningitis in HIV integrated primary care clinics, Yangon, Myanmar

BackgroundCryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a common HIV-associated opportunistic-infection worldwide. Existing literature focusses on hospital-based outcomes of induction treatment. This paper reviews outpatient management in integrated primary care clinics in Yangon.MethodThis retrospective case note review analyses a Myanmar HIV-positive patient cohort managed using ambulatory induction-phase treatment with intravenous amphotericin-B-deoxycholate (0.7–1.0 mg/kg) and oral fluconazole (800 mg orally/day).ResultsSeventy-six patients were diagnosed between 2010 and 2017. The median age of patients diagnosed was 35 years, 63% were male and 33 (45%) were on concurrent treatment for tuberculosis. The median CD4 count was 60 at the time of diagnosis. Amphotericin-B-deoxycholate infusions precipitated 56 episodes of toxicity, namely hypokalaemia, nephrotoxicity, anaemia, febrile reactions, phlebitis, observed in 44 patients (58%). One-year survival (86%) was higher than existing hospital-based treatment studies.ConclusionAmbulation of patients in this cohort saved 1029 hospital bed days and had better survival outcomes when compared to hospital-based studies in other resource constrained settings.

Bacterial Vaginosis and Sexually Transmitted Infections in an HIV-Positive Cohort.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) suggest that sexually transmitted infection (STI) surveillance should include other genital infections and not only human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). To monitor the concomitance of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and STIs in HIV-seropositive (HIV+) and HIV-seronegative (HIV–) patients, a prospective study was conducted in a cohort of 349 volunteers at a clinic specializing in treating STIs in Mexico City. Microbiological and molecular methods were used to detect STIs and dysbiosis in HIV+ and HIV– individuals. The prevalence of infection was higher in HIV+ (69.28%) than in HIV– (54.87%) individuals. BV was the most frequent infection in HIV+ individuals, and polymicrobial infections were 3 times more common in HIV+ individuals than in HIV– individuals (31.48 vs. 10.98%). Behaviors documented in a self-administered questionnaire included low condom use frequency in HIV+ individuals co-infected with BV or a STI. This finding highlights the importance of surveillance using routine microbiological evaluations for the correct management of genital infections in HIV+ patients because in the presence of HIV, the clinical presentations, courses, and therapeutic responses of some STIs can differ from those in patients without HIV infection.

The Hepatitis C Continuum of Care Among HIV-Positive Persons with Heavy Alcohol Use in St. Petersburg, Russia.

This study describes the self-reported prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection and the HCV care continuum among persons enrolled in the St PETER HIV Study, a randomized controlled trial of medications for smoking and alcohol cessation in HIV-positive heavy drinkers and smokers in St. Petersburg, Russia. Baseline health questionnaire data were used to calculate proportions and 95% confidence intervals for self-reported steps along the HCV continuum of care. The cohort included 399 HIV-positive persons, of whom 387 [97.0% (95% CI 95.3-98.7%)] reported a prior HCV test and 315 [78.9% (95% CI 74.9-82.9%)] reported a prior diagnosis of HCV. Among those reporting a diagnosis of HCV, 43 [13.7% (95% CI 9.9-17.4%)] had received treatment for HCV, and 31 [9.8% (95% CI 6.6-13.1%)] had been cured. Despite frequent HCV testing in this HIV-positive Russian cohort, the proportion reporting prior effective HCV treatment was strikingly low. Increased efforts are needed to scale-up HCV treatment among HIV-positive Russians in St. Petersburg.

Whole genome sequencing based differentiation between re-infection and relapse in Indian patients with tuberculosis recurrence, with and without HIV co-infection

IntroductionDifferentiation between relapse and reinfection in cases with tuberculosis (TB) recurrence has important implications for public health, especially in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection. We compared Mycobacterial Interspersed Repeat Unit (MIRU) typing and spoligotyping with whole genome sequencing (WGS) to differentiate between relapse and reinfection in patients (HIV-positive and HIV-negative) with TB recurrence. We also assessed the value of WGS to track acquired drug resistance in those with relapse after successful treatment. MethodForty-one paired M. tuberculosis isolates collected from 20 HIV-positive and 21 HIV-negative patients were subjected to WGS in addition to spoligotyping and MIRU typing. Phylogenetic and Single Nucleotide Substitution (SNP) clustering analyses were performed to determine whether recurrences were due to relapse or re-infection. ResultsComparison of M. tuberculosis genomes indicated that 95% of TB recurrences in the HIV-negative cohort were due to relapse, while the majority of TB recurrences (75%) in the HIV-positive cohort was due to reinfection (P = 0.0001). New drug resistance mutations were acquired in 5/24 cases (20.8%) that experienced relapse. ConclusionsWGS provided increased resolution, but differentiation between relapse and reinfection was broadly consistent with MIRU and spoligotyping. The high contribution of reinfection among HIV infected patients experiencing TB recurrence warrants further study to explore risk factors for TB exposure.

HPyV6 and HPyV7 in urine from immunocompromised patients

BackgroundHuman polyomavirus 6 (HPyV6) and HPyV7 are two of the novel polyomaviruses that were originally detected in non-diseased skin. Serological studies have shown that these viruses are ubiquitous in the healthy adult population with seroprevalence up to 88% for HPyV6 and 72% for HPyV7. Both viruses are associated with pruritic skin eruption in immunocompromised patients, but a role with other diseases in immunoincompetent patients or malignancies has not been established.MethodsPCR was used to determine the presence of HPyV6 and HPyV7 DNA in urine samples from systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 73), multiple sclerosis (n = 50), psoriasis vulgaris (n = 15), arthritic psoriasis (n = 15) and HIV-positive patients (n = 66). In addition, urine from pregnant women (n = 47) and healthy blood donors (n = 20) was investigated.ResultsHPyV6 DNA was detected in 21 (28.8%) of the urine specimens from SLE patients, in 6 (9.1%) of the urine samples from the HIV-positive cohort, and in 19 (40.4%) samples from pregnant women. HPyV7 DNA was only found in 6 (8.2%) of the urine specimens from SLE patients and in 4 (8.5%) samples from pregnant women. No HPyV6 and HPyV7 viruria was detected in the urine samples from the other patients.ConclusionsHPyV6, and to a lesser extend HPyV7, viruria seems to be common in SLE and HIV-positive patients, and pregnant women. Whether these viruses are of clinical relevance in these patients is not known.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Development of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria Among HIV Positive Pregnant Women in Jos, Nigeria

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus pandemic is negatively affecting the reproductive health of women in Nigeria. It is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, especially where secondary infections exist. Studies document that HIV positive women are prone to reproductive and urinary tract infections, and due to physiologic changes in pregnancy, there is higher incidence of urinary infections among pregnant women, with or without symptoms. This prospective cohort study investigates for asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy among HIV seropositive women, to identify if HIV positivity confers additional risks for occurrence. We recruited 119 pregnant HIV positive women and 152 HIV negative controls from Jos University teaching hospital and Faith Alive hospital in Jos, Nigeria and screened for asymptomatic bacteriuria. Bacteriuria was confirmed when two separate urine samples, in the same woman, showed presence of 105 CFU/ml (100,000 organisms) of same species. Laboratory personnel performing tests were unaware of participants HIV status. Antibiotic sensitivity were determined and participants were followed-up/evaluated for features of pyelonephritis throughout antenatal care. Prevalence was determined and analysis to determine if HIV positivity conferred risks. There were 22 women with confirmed bacteriuria, with prevalence of 8.1% among all participants, with 9.4% (14) among HIV Negative cohort and 6.8% (8) of HIV positive women. HIV status, demography and previous pyelonephritis/UTI were not statistically associated with development of asymptomatic bacteriuria. Two women with medical conditions (Diabetes and Sickle cell disease) had confirmed bacteriuria, but numbers were insufficient to deduce an association. Staphylococcus aureus predominated (78.6%) among HIV negative, while for HIV positive women, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus each affected 44.4%. Antibiotic sensitivity favoured Cefuroxime in both HIV positive and negative women, but organisms were resistant to penicillins and Nitrofurantoin. Treatment was not possible because of antibiotics cost and/or unwillingness of participants to receive treatment for an asymptomatic condition. Analysis of the HIV positive cohort showed no further conferment of risk by CD4 counts, viral load, duration of HIV positivity, the anti-retroviral drug type/class or duration/adherence to ARVs. No woman with CD4 count >500 cells/mm3 developed asymptomatic bacteriuria but there was no statistical association. Similarly, women who had undetectable viral load had lower bacteriuria rates, while women with high viral load had higher rates of asymptomatic bacteriuria, but this was only significant when analysis was performed using the logarithm of viral load.

The association of human leukocyte antigen alleles with clinical disease progression in HIV-positive cohorts with varied treatment strategies.

The Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) and Strategies for Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (SMART) trials demonstrated that ART can partly reverse clinically defined immune dysfunction induced by HIV replication. As control of HIV replication is influenced by the HLA region, we explored whether HLA alleles independently influence the risk of clinical events in HIV+ individuals. Cohort study. In START and SMART participants, associations between imputed HLA alleles and AIDS, infection-related cancer, herpes virus-related AIDS events, chronic inflammation-related conditions, and bacterial pneumonia were assessed. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios for the risk of events among allele carriers versus noncarriers. Models were adjusted for sex, age, geography, race, time-updated CD4+ T-cell counts and HIV viral load and stratified by treatment group within trials. HLA class I and II alleles were analyzed separately. The Benjamini--Hochberg procedure was used to limit the false discovery rate to less than 5% (i.e. q value <0.05). Among 4829 participants, there were 132 AIDS events, 136 chronic inflammation-related conditions, 167 bacterial pneumonias, 45 infection-related cancers, and 49 herpes virus-related AIDS events. Several associations with q value less than 0.05 were found: HLA-DQB1∗06:04 and HLA-DRB1∗13:02 with AIDS (adjusted HR [95% CI] 2.63 [1.5-4.6] and 2.25 [1.4-3.7], respectively), HLA-B∗15:17 and HLA-DPB1∗15:01 with bacterial pneumonia (4.93 [2.3-10.7] and 4.33 [2.0-9.3], respectively), and HLA-A∗69:01 with infection-related cancer (15.26 [3.5-66.7]). The carriage frequencies of these alleles were 10% or less. This hypothesis-generating study suggests that certain HLA alleles may influence the risk of immune dysfunction-related events irrespective of viral load and CD4+ T-cell count.

Longitudinal association between intimate partner violence and viral suppression during pregnancy and postpartum in South African women.

We examined the longitudinal association between women's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV viral load during pregnancy and postpartum. Secondary analysis of an HIV-positive cohort enrolled during pregnancy at a South African antenatal clinic. Viral load was assessed at 10 study visits and analyzed continuously as log10 copies/ml and suppression at less than 50 copies/ml. IPV was measured at three timepoints using behaviorally specific items. We used multivariate logistic regression to examine the association between IPV and viral suppression, and cross-lagged dynamic panel modeling (DPMs) to estimate the longitudinal association between IPV (lagged by 3-6 months) and log10 viral load. Of 471 women, 84% were virally suppressed by 6 weeks postpartum and 67% at 12 months postpartum. One-third reported IPV exposure. IPV victimization was not associated with viral suppression at delivery, but was associated with a reduced odds of viral suppression at 12 months postpartum (aOR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.27-0.85). Findings were robust to sensitivity analyses at different timepoints and clinical cut-points. In DPMs, lagged IPV exposure was associated with higher log10 viral load after controlling for past viral load, duration on ART, age, alcohol use, and gestation at study enrolment. Each standardized increase in IPV intensity was associated with higher log10 viral load (standardized coefficient = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.05-0.23). Although viral suppression was widely achieved during pregnancy, suppression rates declined postpartum in this South African cohort. These data suggest IPV is longitudinally associated with elevated viral load postpartum. Interventions for reducing exposure to IPV are important for the health of women and may improve HIV care and treatment.

Sero-prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus\u2013hepatitis B virus (HIV\u2013HBV) co-infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the associated risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundThere is plenitude of information on HIV infection among pregnant mothers attending antenatal care (ANC) in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the epidemiology of HBV–HIV co-infections in the same cohort is not clear despite the common route of transmission of both viruses. The aim of our study was to synthesize data on the prevalence of HBV–HIV co-infection among pregnant women attending ANC in Sub-Saharan Africa to assist in the design of public health interventions to mitigate the challenge.MethodsThe study was done in tandem with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) standards and the Cochran’s Q test, I2 statistics for heterogeneity and the prevalence were calculated using commercially available software called MedCalcs (https://www.medcalc.org). A random effect model was used to pool the prevalence since all the heterogeneities were high (≥ 78%) and Phet < 0.05 indicated significant heterogeneities. The risk factors and risk differences for HBV–HIV co-infection were analyzed. Any likely sources of heterogeneity were analyzed through sensitivity analysis, meta-regression and sub-group analysis. All analyses were done at 95% level of significance and a P < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsThe overall pooled prevalence of HBV–HIV co-infection among pregnant mothers in sub-Saharan Africa was low 3.302% (95%CI = 2.285 to 4.4498%) with heterogeneities (I2) of 97.59% (P > 0.0001). Within regional sub group meta-analyses, West Africa had significantly higher prevalence of 5.155% (95% = 2.671 to 8.392%) with heterogeneity (I2) of 92.25% (P < 0.0001) than any other region (P < 0.001). Articles published from 2004–2010 had significantly higher prevalence of 6.356% (95% = 3.611 to 9.811%) with heterogeneity (I2) 91.15% (P < 0.0001) compared to those published from 2011 to 2019 (P < 0.001). The HIV positive cohort had significantly higher prevalence of HBV–HIV co-infection of 8.312% (95% CI = 5.806 to 11.22%) with heterogeneity (I2)94.90% (P < 0.0001) than the mothers sampled from the general population with a prevalence of 2.152% (95% CI = 1.358 to 3.125%) (P < 0.001). The overall and sub group analyses had high heterogeneities (I2 > 89%, P < 0.0001) but was reduced for South Africa (I2) = 78.4% (P = 0.0314). Age, marital status and employment were independent factors significantly associated with risk of HBV–HIV co-infection (P < 0.001) but not extent of gravidity and education level (P > 0.05). After meta-regression for year of publication and sample size for HBsAg positivity, the results were not significantly associated with HBV pooled prevalence for sample size (P = 0.146) and year of publication (P = 0.560). Following sensitivity analysis, the HBsAg pooled prevalence slightly increased to 3.429% (95% CI = 2.459 to 4.554%) with heterogeneity I2 = 96.59% (95% CI = 95.93 to 97.14%), P < 0.0001ConclusionThere is an urgent need for routine HBV screening among HIV positive pregnant mothers attending antenatal care in sub-Saharan Africa to establish the extent of HBV–HIV co-infection in this cohort. Future studies need to investigate the putative risk factors for HBV–HIV co-infection and prioritize plausible control strategies.

Human Papillomavirus Prevalence in Oral and Oropharyngeal Rinse and Gargle Specimens of Dental Patients and of an HIV-Positive Cohort from Pretoria, South Africa

Introduction Studies on HPV prevalence in the head and neck region of South Africans are sparse. Of the available reports in the literature, there were no studies on the association between HPV-DNA presence in the mouth and oropharynx in relation to high-risk behaviours such as oral sex practice or tobacco and alcohol use. Materials and Methods Following ethical clearance and informed consent, patients attending a regional HIV-management clinic and patients attending a dental hospital were recruited to this study. The participants completed an interview-based questionnaire obtaining demographic information, data on HIV serostatus, and behavioural data including sexual practices and tobacco and alcohol use, and a rinse-and-gargle specimen was taken. Specimens were analysed for HPV DNA on 3 separate PCR/qPCR platforms. Statistical analyses were performed for associations between the study group and categorical variables, HPV status, and data from the questionnaires. Results Of 221 participants, 149 were from a general population and 72 from the HIV-management clinic. Smokers comprised 29.4% of the sample, and 45.2% of participants reported to have ever used alcohol. Open mouth kissing during teenage years was confirmed by 64.7% of participants, 40.3% have given oral sex with their mouth, and 44.8% confirmed to have received oral sex from their partner's mouth. Seven participants (3.2%) had detectable α-HPV DNA, and 1 (0.4%) had detectable β-HPV DNA in their rinse-and-gargle specimens. Two participants were from the HIV-management clinic and 6 from the general dental population (overall 3.6%). Conclusion Five high-risk HPV, 2 low-risk HPV, and one β-HPV types were detected. The low prevalence of 3.6% compares well to similar studies in different cohorts studied in South Africa and falls within the global oral/oropharyngeal prevalence spectrum. Only 4 participants, all from the HIV-management clinic, had palatine tonsils. No significant relationships were found between HPV presence and demographic data or sexual, oral sexual, tobacco use, or alcohol use, and no associations were seen with numbers of sexual and oral-sex partners.

Effectiveness of direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C virus infection in hepatitis C/HIV coinfected individuals: A multicenter study.

In a hepatitis C virus (HCV)/HIV-positive Brazilian cohort, evaluate the safety and efficacy of HCV DAAs, the frequency of resistance substitutions in the HCV NS5A and NS5B genes and identify predictors of treatment failure.Retrospective multicenter study of HCV/HIV patients treated with sofosbuvir (SOF)-based regimens at 10 reference centers in Brazil.Clinical and virological data were collected. Genetic diversity in the NS5A and NS5B genes was assessed by direct nucleotide sequencing. The primary outcome was sustained virological response (SVR) 12 weeks after DAA completion.Of 643 HCV/HIV patients analyzed, 74.7% were male, median CD4+ T cell count was 617 cells/mm3, 90% had an undetectable HIV viral load. HCV genotype 1 was detected in 80.2%, and 60% were taking at least 1 medication other than antiretroviral drugs during their DAA therapy. Cirrhosis was present in 42%. An SOF/daclatasvir (DCV) regimen was used in most patients (98%). The frequency of NS5A polymorphisms associated with clinically relevant resistance to DCV was 2%; no relevant NS5B variants were identified. The SVR12 rate was 92.8% in an intention to treat (ITT) analysis and 96% in a modified ITT (m-ITT) analysis. AE occurred in 1.6% of patients. By multivariate analysis, therapeutic failure was associated, in the m-ITT analysis, with concomitant use of anticonvulsant drugs (P = .001), age (P = .04), and female gender (P = .04).SOF/DCV regimens were associated with a high SVR rate in an HCV/HIV population. The use of concurrent anticonvulsant drugs and DAAs decreases the chances of achieving an SVR.

Evaluating the significance of HIV status in patients with neoplastic brain tumors admitted to a single neurosurgical center in South Africa – A prospective cohort study

IntroductionWhile global awareness of HIV disease has grown exponentially due to public awareness initiatives, the specifics of the impact of being HIV positive in patients presenting with brain tumours is lacking. Materials and methodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study consecutively enrolling all subjects with a neoplastic brain tumour from the 01 July 2018–31 March 2020. The data collected in this study included age, gender, HIV status, admission absolute CD4 count, radiological diagnosis, blood loss, length of surgery, extent of resection, histological diagnosis, nosocomial infection incidence, and Glasgow Outcome Score. ResultsIn total 101 subjects were enrolled in the study which comprised 65/101 (64%) HIV negative subjects and 36/101 (36%) HIV positive subjects. In terms of HIV result and admission absolute CD4 count, significance was demonstrated (p < 0.001). Considering radiological tumour diagnosis and HIV result a significant relationship was demonstrated, favouring meningiomas and pituitary tumours in the HIV negative cohort, and high-grade glioma and metastasis in the HIV positive cohort (p = 0.04). Of the 101 subjects enrolled in the study, 78 were taken for operative intervention and of these 50/78 (64%) were HIV negative and 28/78 (36%) were HIV positive. Regarding length of surgery, while no significance was demonstrated (p = 0.72), a clinical trend was suggested that elective brain tumour surgery takes longer in HIV positive patients. With regards extent of resection significance was demonstrated, favouring gross total resection in the HIV negative cohort, and subtotal resection in the HIV positive cohort (p = 0.0025). ConclusionIn our study significance was demonstrated between HIV result and radiological tumour diagnosis. We further demonstrated significance between HIV result and admission CD4 count. According to a PubMed review we are the first to suggest a trend for surgery to take longer in HIV positive patients, as well as report the significance of the extent of resection.

Homelessness among an inpatient HIV-positive cohort at a tertiary care hospital in central London.

A cohort review was conducted at a central London tertiary care hospital trust on the prevalence of homelessness among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive inpatients over a year. Data were collected on the duration of inpatient stay, co-morbidities including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining illnesses, co-infections, initiation of antiretroviral therapy, CD4 cell count, HIV viral load and substance misuse. Homeless people were found to be at high risk for hepatitis C, mental health illness, substance misuse including injecting drug use, recurrent bacterial infections, AIDS-associated illnesses, lower CD4 cell counts and HIV viremia. They also had more missed HIV outpatient appointments. It was highlighted that a multidisciplinary approach in their care was necessary to address their needs and reduce the morbidity burden in this cohort.

Clinico-pathological Evaluation and Outcomes of Emergency Right Hemicolectomies in the HIV Era

Emergency right hemicolectomies (RH) are attended by high morbidity and mortality. A primary ileocolic anastomosis (PA) or stoma may be performed, depending upon clinical risk factors. In HIV/AIDS patients, multiple pathologies involve the ileo-caecal area, and may necessitate a RH. To provide a clinico-pathological evaluation and outcome analysis of emergency RH. A retrospective chart analysis of 55 patients undergoing an emergency RH in two regional referral centres in KwaZulu-Natal, from January 2013 to December 2018, was undertaken. A total of 55 patients, median age 35 (range 12–83 years), underwent emergency RH. Seventeen patients were HIV-positive (30.9%) and 36 HIV-negative (65.5%), while 2 were not tested. A RH with PA was more commonly performed (61.8%). There was a higher rate of metabolic acidosis (p = 0.0046) and inotropic support (p = 0.001) in the RH and ileostomy cohort. The mortality rate was significantly higher in the RH and ileostomy cohort (42.9% vs 14.7%), p = 0.0275. There was a significantly higher rate of RH and ileostomy done in the HIV-positive cohort than in the HIV-negative cohort (58.8% vs 27.7%), p = 0.03. Ileo-caecal tuberculosis was more common in HIV-positive patients (35.3% vs 2.8%), p = 0.003. Overall, complicated appendicitis was the most common indication for RH (38.2%). Emergency RH with ileostomy is performed more often in the physiologically unstable patient and, hence, has a high mortality rate. Ileo-caecal TB is more common in HIV-positive patients leading to a higher ileostomy rate. Complicated appendicitis was the most common indication for emergency RH.