Time Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Diagnosis Research Articles

Delayed Diagnosis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the Latino Population at a Federally Qualified Community Health Center in New Jersey.

Late diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with early progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We examined racial/ethnic differences in presentation with advanced HIV/AIDS at a community health center in New Jersey. Records of patients diagnosed with HIV between 1990 and 2018 were reviewed. Odds ratios (OR) of presenting with AIDS at HIV diagnosis were computed in unadjusted and adjusted models. There were 182 (48.3%) Latino, 48 (12.7%) non-Latino White (NLW), 130 (34.5%) non-Latino Black, and 17 (4.5%) non-Latino of other race/ethnicity included in the analysis. Over 75% of the Latinos were foreign-born. Latino patients had higher odds of presentation with AIDS at time of HIV diagnosis than NLW in unadjusted (OR = 4.85, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 2.28-10.31) and adjusted models (OR = 3.71, 95%CI: 1.60-8.59). Latino patients, particularly foreign-born and bisexual, had higher odds of being diagnosed with AIDS at presentation with HIV in this cohort.

HIV Late Presenters in Asia: Management and Public Health Challenges.

Many individuals are diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection at an advanced stage of illness and are considered late presenters. We define late presentation as a CD4 cell count below 350 cells/mm3 at the time of HIV diagnosis, or presenting with an AIDS-defining illness regardless of CD4 count. Across Asia, an estimated 34-72% of people diagnosed with HIV are late presenters. HIV late presenters generally have a higher disease burden and higher comorbidity such as opportunistic infections than those who are diagnosed earlier. They also have a higher mortality rate and generally exhibit poorer immune recovery following combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). As such, late HIV presentation leads to increased resource burden and costs to healthcare systems. HIV late presentation also poses an increased risk of community transmission since the transmission rate from people unaware of their HIV status is approximately 3.5 times higher than that of early presenters. There are several factors which contribute to HIV late presentation. Fear of stigmatisation and discrimination are significant barriers to both testing and accessing treatment. A lack of perceived risk and a lack of knowledge by individuals also contribute to late presentation. Lack of referral for testing by healthcare providers is another identified barrier in China and may extend to other regions across Asia. Effective strategies are still needed to reduce the incidence of late presentation across Asia. Key areas of focus should be increasing community awareness of the risk of HIV, reducing stigma and discrimination in testing, and educating healthcare professionals on the need for early testing and on the most effective ways to engage with people living with HIV. Recent initiatives such as intensified patient adherence support programs and HIV self-testing also have the potential to improve access to testing and reduce late diagnosis.

Predictors of death among TB/HIV co-infected patients on tuberculosis treatment in Sichuan, China: A retrospective cohort study.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the most common opportunistic infection among patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and it is also the leading cause of death, causing approximately one-third of acquired immune deficiency syndrome deaths worldwide. China is on the World Health Organization's global list of 30 high-tuberculosis (TB) burden countries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the mortality rate, survival probabilities, and factors associated with death among patients with TB/HIV co-infection undergoing TB treatment in Sichuan, China. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Chinese National TB Surveillance System data of TB/HIV co-infected patients enrolled in TB treatment from January 2020 to December 2020. We calculated the mortality rate and survival probabilities using the Kaplan-Meier estimator, and a Cox proportional hazard model was conducted to identify independent risk factors for TB/HIV co-infection mortality. Hazard ratios and their respective 95% confidence intervals were also reported in this study. Of 828 TB/HIV co-infected patients, 44 (5.31%) died during TB treatment, and the crude mortality rate was 7.76 per 1000 person-months. More than half of the deaths (n = 23) occurred in the first 3 months of TB treatment. Overall survival probabilities were 97.20%, 95.16%, and 91.75% at 3rd, 6th, and 12th month respectively. The independent risk factors for mortality among TB/HIV co-infected patients were having extra-pulmonary TB and pulmonary TB co-infection, history of antiretroviral therapy interruption, and baseline cluster of differentiation 4 T-lymphocyte counts <200 cells/μL at the time of HIV diagnosis. Antiretroviral therapy is important for the survival of TB/HIV co-infected patients, and it is recommended to help prolong life by restoring immune function and preventing extra-pulmonary TB.

Short-term mortality from HIV-infected persons diagnosed from 2012 to 2016: Impact of late diagnosis of HIV infection.

We investigated the temporal trends of short-term mortality (death within 1 year of diagnosis) and cause-specific deaths in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons by stage of HIV infection at diagnosis. We also assessed the impact of late diagnosis (LD) on short-term mortality.Epidemiological records of HIV-infected Singapore residents from the National HIV Registry were linked to death records from the Registry of Births and Deaths for observational analyses. Newly-diagnosed HIV cases with available cluster of differentiation 4 count at time of diagnosis in a 5-year period from 2012 to 2016 were included in the study. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of LD for all deaths excluding suicides and self-inflicted or accidental injuries, and HIV/ acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related deaths occurring within 1 year post-diagnosis were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression models with adjustment for age at HIV/AIDS diagnosis. Population attributable risk proportions (PARPs) were then calculated using the adjusted HRs.Of the 1990 newly-diagnosed HIV cases included in the study, 7.2% had died by end of 2017, giving an overall mortality rate of 2.16 per 100 person-years (PY) (95% CI 1.82–2.54). The mortality rate was 3.81 per 100 PY (95% CI 3.15–4.56) in HIV cases with LD, compared with 0.71 (95% CI 0.46–1.05) in non-LD (nLD) cases. Short-term mortality was significantly higher in LD (9.1%) than nLD cases (1.1%). Of the 143 deaths reported between 2012 and 2017, 58.0% were HIV/AIDS-related (nLD 28.0% vs LD 64.4%). HIV/AIDS-related causes represented 70.4% of all deaths which occurred during the first year of diagnosis (nLD 36.4% vs LD 74.7%). The PARP of short-term mortality due to LD was 77.8% for all deaths by natural causes, and 87.8% for HIV/AIDS-related deaths.The mortality rate of HIV-infected persons with LD was higher than nLD, especially within 1 year of diagnosis, and HIV/AIDS-related causes constituted majority of these deaths. To reduce short-term mortality, persons at high risk of late-stage HIV infection should be targeted in outreach efforts to promote health screening and remove barriers to HIV testing and treatment.

Poor CD4/CD8 ratio recovery in HBcAb-positive HIV patients with worse immune status is associated with significantly higher CD8 cell numbers

Low CD4+ cell count in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection during combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has been described; however, notably few studies have investigated coinfected patients positive for antibodies to the HBV c antigen (HBcAb). An observational retrospective study enrolling 190 patients was conducted by grouping patients with respect to HBV status and recording CD4+ T cell counts and percentages (CD4%), CD8+ T cell counts and percentages (CD8%), and the CD4+ to CD8+ T cell ratio (CD4/CD8) at the time of HIV diagnosis, at the start of treatment and at months 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, and 24 after beginning cART. One hundred and twenty patients (63.2%) were negative for previous HBV infection, while 70 (36.8%) were HBcAb-positive. A significant increase in the CD4/CD8 ratio was recorded in HIV monoinfected subjects compared to HBV coinfected patients from months 4 to 12 from the beginning of cART (p value = 0.02 at month 4, p value = 0.005 at month 5, p value = 0.006 at month 6, and p value = 0.008 at month 12). A significant increase in the absolute count of CD8+ T lymphocytes was described from months 2 to 24 from the start of cART in the subgroup of HBV coinfected patients with an AIDS event at the onset of HIV infection. The presence of HBcAb was observed to be associated with reduced CD4/CD8 ratio growth and a significantly higher proportion of subjects with CD4/CD8 < 0.45 in the HIV/HBV coinfected group. A significant increase in the CD8 T cell count was shown up to 24 months after the initiation of effective cART in the subgroup of patients with the worst immune status.

Profile of Patients with Digestive Tube Cancer Infected With HIV in Two Cancerology Centers in Cameroon

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is a major public health problem in Africa, which alone recorded 71% of HIV / AIDS-related deaths in 2018. There is a link between the infection to HIV and the occurrence of certain cancers, in particular digestive cancers. Very little data in Africa, especially Cameroon, exists on the association between HIV and digestive cancers. Our goal was to determine the prevalence of HIV in patients with cancer of the digestive tract as well as the factors related to the prognosis of these patients in Cameroon. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional and analytical study over a 10-year period from January 2010 to December 2019. It was carried out in the general hospitals of the cities of Douala and Yaoundé. We included records of patients with histologically confirmed gastrointestinal cancer. We excluded records of patients with lymphoma or Kaposi’s sarcoma. The data collected were socio-demographic, clinical and paraclinical data. Chi-square test was used to determine statistically significant associations for p &lt;0.05. Results: We collected 294 files, among which 71 had positive HIV serology, either a prevalence of 24.15%. The average age of the patients was 53,7±13,6 years old. The sex ratio was 1.08. The main locations were the colon with 28.7% (N = 20) and the anus with 25.4% (N = 18). At the time of HIV diagnosis, the mean CD4 count at the time of HIV diagnosis was 413,2±189,3/mm3 and the mean viral load was 5129±2786,8copies/mm3. When diagnosed with cancer, the average CD4 count was 287,84±101,7/mm3 and the average viral load was 25385,5±19784,3/mm3. The anal location (p = 0.003), the necrotic appearance (p = 0.001), the poorly differentiated character (p = 0.02) of the tumors and the death of the patients (p = 0.000) were statistically linked to positive HIV serology. Factors associated with the prognosis of HIV positive patients were CD4 count &lt;200 / mm3 (p = 0.002) and the existence of metastases (p = 0.04) Conclusion: The prevalence of HIV in patients with cancer of the digestive tract is 24.15%. The anal location, the necrotic appearance and the undifferentiated nature of the tumors are related to positive HIV serology. Prognostic factors are a CD4 count &lt;200 / mm3 and the existence of metastases.

Trends of Cause of Death among Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patients and the Impact of Low CD4 Counts on Diagnosis to Death: a Retrospective Cohort Study

BackgroundMonitoring the full spectrum of causes of death among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients has become increasingly important as survival improves because of highly active antiretroviral therapy. However, there are no recently published data regarding the changes in the causes of death among HIV patients based on year of HIV diagnosis, and the impact of low CD4 count at the time of HIV diagnosis on the clinical outcome is still unclear in Korea.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted with 801 patients with HIV infection who were followed up at a tertiary university hospital and diagnosed with HIV between July 1984 and October 2019. The causes of death were analyzed by descriptive analysis based on CD4 count and the year of HIV diagnosis. Kaplan–Meier and log rank tests were performed to compare the prognosis between the CD4 < 200 cells/mm3 and CD4 ≥ 200 cells/mm3 groups.ResultsAmong 801 patients, 67 patients were eligible for the death cause analysis. Infection-related death accounted for 44 patients (65.7%) and non-infection related death accounted for 23 patients (32.4%). Pneumocystis pneumonia (29.9%) was the single most common cause of death in both past and present cases, and tuberculosis (19.4%) was the second leading cause of death from infections, but the frequency has declined in recent years. Causes of infection-related death have decreased, whereas non-infection related causes of death have increased remarkably. Malignancy-related death was the most common cause of non-infection related death. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) non-related malignancy accounted for 11.9%, whereas AIDS-related malignancy accounted for 6.0% of the total death among HIV patients. No significant statistical differences were found in mortality rate (P = 0.228), causes of death (P = 0.771), or survival analysis (P = 0.089) between the CD4 < 200 cells/mm3 and CD4 ≥ 200 cells/mm3 groups.ConclusionBeing diagnosed with CD4 < 200 cells/mm3 at the time of HIV diagnosis was not an indicator of greater risk of death compared with the CD4 ≥ 200 cells/mm3 group. Malignant tumors have become an important cause of death in recent years, and an increasing tendency of AIDS-non-related malignancy causes has been observed.

Low compliance with hepatocellular carcinoma screening guidelines in hepatitis B/C virus co-infected HIV patients with cirrhosis.

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) is increasing. In patients with cirrhosis, guidelines recommend HCC screening every 6 months. We assessed compliance with HCC screening guidelines in cirrhotic HBV/HCV-HIV-co-infected patients. HBV/HCV-HIV-co-infected patients with cirrhosis were enrolled from 4 European prospective cohorts participating in the COHERE collaboration, followed from 1 January 2005-1 January 2015. Assessment of liver cirrhosis was based on clinical diagnosis and liver biopsy or Fibroscan. Compliance with HCC screening guidelines was defined as one ultrasound every 6 months. Generalized estimating equation models adjusted for repeated measurements were fitted to determine predictors of low compliance. Different sensitivity analyses were performed and validation of the data was carried out by randomly checking 10% of each cohort's data. 646 HIV-patients with the diagnosis of cirrhosis were included: 518 (80%) HCV-, 85 (13%) HBV- and 43 (7%) HBV/HCV-co-infected. Median age at cirrhosis diagnosis was 44 years, median follow-up time since diagnosis was 5.3 years. Screening </=6 months was performed in 6-18% of individuals from 2005-2015. If the screening interval was increased to 9 or 12 months, compliance improved to 7-24% and 7-30% respectively. Thus, compliance with HCC screening guidelines in cirrhotic HIV-patients co-infected with HBV and/or HCV in Europe is low. In light of an ageing population and the increasing prevalence of liver cirrhosis this situation needs to be addressed urgently. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Role of Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in the Era of Combination Antiretroviral Therapy.

BackgroundGastrointestinal (GI) diseases are common in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. There are few reports on the epidemiology and endoscopic findings of gastric cancer in patients with HIV infection in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). We retrospectively analyzed upper GI endoscopic findings in patients with HIV infection and investigated their role as gastric cancer screening.Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively investigated endoscopies conducted in Korean patients with HIV infection referred for endoscopy at a tertiary hospital between January 2004 and December 2018. Endoscopic and pathologic findings were analyzed according to the reason for endoscopy, patient age, and cART duration. All endoscopic findings were reevaluated by gastroenterologists.ResultsThree hundred ten endoscopies in 201 patients with HIV infection were investigated. Of these, 118 (38.1%) endoscopies in 81 (40.1%) patients were performed for cancer screening purposes. Gastric cancer was found in 4 patients (2.0%); one of them presented with gastric cancer at the time of HIV diagnosis, and the other 3 patients were diagnosed with early gastric cancer on screening endoscopy, which was cured with endoscopic submucosal dissection or surgery. The prevalence of gastric cancer in screening endoscopies was 3.7%. Atrophic gastritis was a more common finding in screening endoscopies than in diagnostic endoscopies (P <0.001), and was significantly associated with longer durations of cART (P <0.001). The overall prevalence of gastric cancer, atrophic gastritis, and intestinal metaplasia was 2.0, 57.8, and 25.4%, respectively. The prevalence of atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia increased with age.ConclusionRegular gastric cancer screening might be useful for early diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer in patients with HIV infection.

Invasive Infections for Endemic Fungi in Pediatrics in Guatemala

Background: Invasive fungal infections are common opportunistic diseases in patients with AIDS, other conditions related to immunodeficiency and healthy infants. Most publications on this subject are related to industrialized countries, and in adult population, with limited data in Latin America (except for Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina), and especially in pediatric population. These patients present a variety of clinical manifestations representing a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the health system. Objective: The objective of the study is to describe the epidemiological and laboratory characteristics of children with invasive fungal infections in Guatemala. Methods: A review of the microbiology service database was carried out at Roosevelt Hospital in Guatemala. Positive cultures were taken from children under 15 years of age, in a period of seven years, from 2007 to 2014, with its corresponding medical history. Results: Finally, 23 isolates were documented but only 15 patients were included in the study with complete information; 10 Histoplasma capsulatum cases, 4 Cryptococcus neoformans cases and 1 Coccidioidessp case. The average age was 7 years old for Histoplasma and 9 years old for Criptococo, with an age range from 6 months to 14 years. Around 60% of the patients were older than 5 years, of which, more than two-thirds were HIV positive children without antiretroviral therapy, who presented an invasive fungal infection at the time of HIV diagnosis. These infections are endemic in Guatemala, so the distribution was mostly uniform. Around 80% of the patients had some disease related to immunodeficiency and 70% were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The microbiological isolation was from blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, cerebrospinal fluid and urine. The predominant laboratory findings were decrease in hematological series. The most frequent clinical syndromes were fever, adenomegaly, hepatosplenomegaly, respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological and weight loss. Mortality rate was 53% (from them, 62% were HIV positive). From these patients, an87% did not receive antifungal treatment in time due to late diagnosis of the infection. Conclusions: These infections should be considered when treating pediatric patients from tropical regions, with nonspecific systemic symptoms and signs, lymph node involvement and hematological alterations related to the mononuclear phagocytic system, mainly if they are patients infected by HIV in an advanced stage, infants, or children with a disease that weakens the immune system. When there is a high suspicion of a fungal infection, screening for HIV is mandatory; cultures should be taken early and together with rapid diagnostic tests. An antifungal treatment should be started immediately and then modified accordingly to laboratory results.

Latent tuberculous infection testing among HIV-infected persons in clinical care, United States, 2010-2012.

Current guidelines recommend latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) testing at the time of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis and annually thereafter for persons at high risk of LTBI. To estimate LTBI testing prevalence and describe the characteristics of HIV-infected persons who would benefit from annual LTBI testing. We estimated the proportions of LTBI testing among a nationally representative sample of HIV-infected adults in care between 2010 and 2012, and compared the patient characteristics of those with a positive LTBI test result to those with a negative result using χ2 tests. Among 2772 patients, 68.8% had been tested for LTBI at least once since HIV diagnosis, and 39.4% had been tested during the previous 12 months. Among patients tested at least once, 6.9% tested positive, 80.7% tested negative, and 12.4% had an indeterminate or undocumented result. Patients with a positive test were significantly more likely to be foreign-born, have lower educational attainment, and a household income at or below the federal poverty level. More than 30% of HIV-infected patients had never been tested for LTBI. Providers should test all patients for LTBI at the time of HIV diagnosis. The patient characteristics associated with a positive LTBI test result may guide provider decisions about annual testing.

Hospitalizations of HIV patients in a major Israeli HIV/AIDS center during the years 2000 to 2012.

To evaluate hospitalization rates and causes among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients in the late highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era. Data during the years 2000 to 2012 were obtained from hospital/clinical charts. Hospitalizations were defined as a ≥24 hours hospital admission. Obstetric admissions were excluded. Causes of hospitalizations were defined as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining illnesses, AIDS-related diseases (HAART adverse events, metabolic complications and non-AIDS-defining tumors/infections), and non-HIV-related diseases. Hospitalization rates are presented as admissions per 100 patient years. The number of HIV patients (58% males) in our center increased from 521 in 2000 to 1169 in 2012. 1676 hospital admissions (in 557 patients) were observed during the years of the study. The mean number of admissions per hospitalized patient was 3 ± 3.39. Hospitalization rates of HIV patients declined significantly (18.4/100 in 2000, 9/100 patient years in 2012; P = .0001), but it was higher than the rates reported in the Israeli general population (X8.76 in 2000, X6.04 in 2012). Furthermore, hospitalizations for AIDS-defining illness declined (from 46.9% to 16.1%) whereas non-HIV-related hospitalizations increased (from 31.3% to 60.1%). Lower cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) cell counts and older age, at the time of HIV diagnosis, were associated with higher rates of admissions (especially for AIDS-defining illnesses) and mortality. Hospitalization rates of HIV patients, especially for AIDS-defining illness, continue to decline in the late HAART era despite the increasing age of the patients, though it is still higher than that of the general population. Low CD4 cell counts and older age, at the time of HIV diagnosis, are associated with readmissions and mortality.

Increase in CD4+ T-Cell Count at the Time of HIV Diagnosis and Antiretroviral Treatment Initiation Among Persons With HIV in New York City.

Trends in CD4+ T-cell count at human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection diagnosis and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation can be characterized using laboratory tests from surveillance. We used CD4+ T-cell counts and viral loads from New York City for persons who received a diagnosis of HIV infection during 2006-2012. From 2006 to 2012, the median CD4+ T-cell count increased from 325 to 379 cells/µL at diagnosis and from 178 to 360 cells/μL at ART initiation. CD4+ T-cell counts were consistently lower in women, blacks, Hispanics, persons who inject drugs, and heterosexuals. Increases in CD4+ T-cell count at diagnosis and ART initiation suggest that the time from HIV infection to ART initiation has been reduced substantially in New York City.

Opportunistic diseases among HIV-infected patients: a multicenter-nationwide Korean HIV/AIDS cohort study, 2006 to 2013.

Background/Aims:The frequencies of opportunistic diseases (ODs) vary across countries based on genetic, environmental, and social differences. The Korean HIV/AIDS cohort study was initiated in 2006 to promote research on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Korea, and to provide a logistical network to support multicenter projects on epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory aspects of HIV infection. This study evaluated the prevalence of ODs among HIV-infected patients in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy, and the risk factors associated with ODs.Methods:The study enrolled 1,086 HIV-infected patients from 19 hospitals. This study examined the baseline data of the HIV/AIDS Korean cohort study at the time of enrollment from December 2006 to July 2013.Results:Candidiasis was the most prevalent opportunistic infection (n = 176, 16.2%), followed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (n = 120, 10.9%), Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (n = 121, 11.0%), cytomegalovirus infection (n = 52, 4.7%), and herpes zoster (n = 44, 4.0%). The prevalence rates of Kaposi’s sarcoma (n = 8, 0.7%) and toxoplasmosis (n = 4, 0.4%) were very low compared with other countries. The risk factors for ODs were a low CD4 T cell count at the time of HIV diagnosis (odds ratio [OR], 1.01; p < 0.01), current smoking (OR, 2.27; p = 0.01), current alcohol use (OR, 2.57; p = 0.04), and a history of tuberculosis (OR, 5.23; p < 0.01).Conclusions:Using recent Korean nationwide data, this study demonstrated that an important predictor of ODs was a low CD4 T cell count at the time of HIV diagnosis. Tuberculosis remains one of the most important ODs in HIV-infected patients in Korea.

A Single Center Experience: Short Term CD4 Count Monitoring and Rate of Opportunistic Infections in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infected Patients

Background/Objectives: CD4 cell count is a key measure of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease progression and for the risk of developing a life-threatening opportunistic infections (OIs). We designed this study to assess and monitor CD4 count at baseline and response to antiretroviral therapy (ART) at 6 and 12 months and to know the prevalence of OIs among all adult with HIV-infection in a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia (SA). Material/methods: Retrospective study was conducted with a total of 61 HIV seropositive patients attended at King Abdulaziz Medical City-Riyadh from January 2005 to November 2015, data was collected and recorded form patients’ charts, electronic health record system and HIV database for age, gender, nationality, CD4 count at baseline for all patients and at 6 months and 12 months for patients receiving ART and OIs. Flow cytometry was used for absolute CD4 count measurement. Identification of all causative microorganisms of OIs was performed by the standard microbiologic methods with clinical correlation. Results: Majority, 46/61(75.4%) of study participants were male patients. The mean age of participants was 44.39 with std of +/- 13.375 years. Mean baseline CD4 count for all study participants was 285.28 with std of +/- 306.333 cells/μL. Distribution of baseline CD4 count for all patients was, DC4 count less than 200 cells/μL were 34/61(55.7%), CD4 count from 200-500 cells/μL were 13/61(21.3%) and CD4 count more than 500 cells/μL were 14/61(23.0%). A total of 30/61 patients (49.2%) were not receiving ART and 31/61 patients (51.8%) were receiving ART. A total of 22/61 (36.1%) OIs were observed from the study participants. Commonly observed OIs were Cytomegalovirus (CMV) 14/61 (23.0%) (Positive IgG and IgM antibodies, pp65 antigen and PCR without clinical correlation), Tuberculosis 4/61(6.6%), pneumocystis pneumonia 2/61(3.3%) Toxoplasmosis 2/61(3.3%), Syphilis 2/61(3.3), varicella zoster virus (VZV) 1/61(1.6%), herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1/61 (1.6%). Conclusions: Half of HIV-infected patients 55.7% in this study were severely immunocompromised at the time of HIV diagnosis. Half of patients receiving ART were nonadherence to medications and 21% of patients had a poor immunologic response after one year of adherence to ART. One-third of our HIV-positive patients were infected with one or more OIs.

Tenofovir-Related Nephropathies in HIV-Infected Patients.

The number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients has increased significantly, although the number of deaths due to HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has dramatically reduced. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has increased not only survival but also the risk of deaths caused by other diseases or by long-term side effects of these drugs. The aim of this study is to evaluate the nephrotoxicity of one of the most common anti-retroviral drugs, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). We examined 27 patients with HIV infection (10 women). Patients assumed TDF for a mean period of 8.03 months. Indexes of renal function and serum electrolytes were measured, and glomerular filtration rate was estimated (eGFR). Proteinuria, glycosuria, bicarbonaturia, and phosphaturia were assessed, and renal ultrasound examination was carried out. Acute kidney injury with glycosuria, bicarbonaturia, and phosphaturia was seen in 22 patients. Substantial recovery of renal function occurred in 19 patients. This study highlights that TDF nephrotoxicity is a widely frequent but reversible form of renal damage with preferentially proximal tubular dysfunction. We suggest that all patients at the time of HIV diagnosis should carry out a screening for kidney disease with eGFR assessment, proteinuria, and urine analysis.

Impaired renal function and associated risk factors in newly diagnosed HIV-infected adults in Gulu Hospital, Northern Uganda.

BackgroundScreening for renal diseases should be performed at the time of diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Despite the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Northern Uganda, little is known about the status of renal function and its correlates in the newly diagnosed HIV-infected individuals in this resource limited region. We aimed to determine the status of renal function and factors associated with impaired renal function in newly diagnosed HIV-infected adults in Northern Uganda.MethodsThis was a seven month cross-sectional hospital-based study, involving newly diagnosed HIV-infected patients, 18 years and older. Patients with history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and renal disease were excluded. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula (Table one). Factors associated with impaired renal function (eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2) were thus sought.ResultsWe enrolled 361 participants (230, 63.7% female) with Mean ± standard deviation age of 31.4 ± 9.5 years. 52, (14.4%) had impaired renal function (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2) and of this 37 (71.2%) moderate renal impairment (eGFR 30–59.9 mL/min/1.73 m2) while 15 (28.8%) had severe renal impairment (eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m2). Proteinuria was recorded in 189 (52.4%) participants. Of these, 154 (81.5%) had mild (1+) while 8 (4.2%) had severe (3+) proteinuria. Using logistic regression, age, CD4 cell count, and proteinuria were significantly associated with impaired renal function; age >34 years (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.3 – 5.9; P =0.009), CD4 count <350 cells/μL (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.0-4.7; P =0.039) and proteinuria (OR 9.6, 95% CI 5.2–17.9; P < 0.001).ConclusionThe prevalence of impaired renal function was high in new HIV-infected individuals in this region with limited resources. So, screening for renal disease in HIV is recommended at the time of HIV diagnosis.

New vaccines for the prevention of tuberculosis in human immunodeficiency virus infection [Perspectives

The prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) associated tuberculosis (TB) remains challenging. Several vaccines against TB have advanced to clinical trials in patients with HIV infection. The DarDar Trial, a large, randomized, placebo-controlled efficacy trial conducted in Tanzania, has demonstrated that a multiple dose series of an inactivated whole cell mycobacterial vaccine is safe in HIV and can prevent HIV-associated TB in patients with childhood bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination and CD4 counts of ≥200 cells/mm(3). These developments offer promise that in the not too distant future immunization with an effective vaccine against TB can be added to other strategies for the prevention of HIV-associated TB. This expanded approach is referred to as the Five 'I's': intensified case finding, infection control, isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT), initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and immunization against TB. We encourage additional studies of new TB vaccines in HIV, and propose a strategy to reduce the risk of TB by integrating IPT, ART and immunization into routine HIV care. At the time of HIV diagnosis, patients with CD4 counts of ≥200 cells/mm(3) could receive immunization, IPT and, as appropriate, ART. In patients presenting with lower CD4 counts or already on ART, immunization could be initiated at CD4 counts of ≥200 cells/mm(3) to add to the protection afforded by IPT and ART.

Osteonecrosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients: a multicentric case–control study

Osteonecrosis (ON) is a rare disabling complication occurring in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection at a higher frequency than in the general population despite effective combination antiretroviral therapy being made available, as recently documented by several retrospective studies. We designed a multicentric case-control study among HIV-infected patients cared for at institutions in the Italian CISAI group (Italian Study Group for Adverse Events in HIV Infection) to search for additional predictors of ON in this special population. All centers which observed at least one case of ON were requested to report data for central re-evaluation. Parallel HIV-positive, ON-free controls were randomly selected and matched with confirmed cases of ON for sex, age and CD4 T-cell counts at the time of HIV diagnosis. Fifteen cases and controls were included in the final sample. Univariate statistical analyses revealed a significant association between ON and exposure to steroids (P=0.001), exposure to one or more drugs in addition to HAART (Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy) (P=0.03), high titers of total serum IgE (P=0.02), loss of working ability (P=0.03), triglycerides levels over 200mg/dL before antiretrovirals (P=0.03) and cholesterol levels over 200mg/dL before and after antiretrovirals (P=0.03 and 0.05, respectively). High serum IgE levels and loss of working ability in advance of ON appeared for the first time as possible predictors of ON in HIV patients, while long-term exposure to steroids, combined hyperlipemia and chronic treatment with other drugs in addition to antiretrovirals were confirmed. Predicting and preventing ON in the individual HIV-infected patient is therefore a clinically challenging opportunity.

HIV and AIDS in the European Union, 2009

In 2009, 28 European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries reported 25,917 newly diagnosed cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Sex among men who have sex with men was the most common transmission mode (35%) followed by heterosexual contact (24%). Overall, the number of HIV cases in 2009 increased while the number of reported acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) diagnoses continued to decline. It is of concern that a high proportion of the patients with known CD4 cells count at the time of HIV diagnosis had a CD4 cell count below 350 cells/µl suggesting no timely access to treatment and care.