Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “CD4 Lymphocyte Count”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 937 records · Page 52Linked to original sources

Response of lymphoepithelial parotid cysts to antiretroviral treatment in HIV-infected adults.

BACKGROUND: Surgical resection has been the usual therapy for HIV-infected patients with lymphoepithelial parotid cysts. OBJECTIVE: To study antiretroviral therapy for lymphoepithelial parotid cysts. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: HIV outpatient clinics. PATIENTS: HIV-infected patients with lymphoepithelial parotid cysts. INTERVENTION: Antiretroviral therapy. MEASUREMENTS: Change in size of the parotid cyst, CD4 lymphocyte count, and HIV viral load. RESULTS: Nine HIV-infected adults presented with chronic, large parotid cysts, eight of which were bilateral. In at least seven patients, the cysts were the initial sign of HIV infection. In six patients, the cysts resolved completely with combination antiretroviral therapy. Four of these patients also received prednisone. Three patients who did not comply with antiretroviral therapy had partial responses followed by relapses. CONCLUSIONS: Parotid cysts are an unrecognized sign of early HIV infection. These cysts respond to combination antiretroviral therapy, with or without corticosteroids. Surgical resection should be reserved for patients in whom medical therapy has failed or those who refuse or are poorly compliant with medical therapy.

Adult↗

Greater adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) between pregnant versus non-pregnant women living with HIV.

One of the most remarkable advances in the control of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has been the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The use of HAART has been associated to reductions in AIDS-related mortality in most countries where HAART is available. Unfortunately, the adherence required to keep good control of viral replication is higher than what is required in other medical conditions. Several studies have shown a relationship between adherence and viral suppression ranging between 90-95% required for complete suppression. Multiple factors have been related to adherence among which are: gender, racial/ethnic distribution, age, personality traits, education, alcohol use and others. For women living with HIV there might be additional difficulties to handle in order to be adherent (i.e. multiple family responsibilities). A group of 165 women living with HIV attending a multidisciplinary clinic were interviewed with a 3-day adherence questionnaire. Correlation with clinical information was obtained from the Clinic Data Base. A total of 37 pregnant and 128 non-pregnant women were included in this analysis, 96% of which were on HAART. Complete adherence (100%) was reported by 91% of the pregnant and 70% of the non-pregnant women. (Fisher's exact test 0.009). The majority, 99% knew the names of their medications. There were no differences among groups in scholarity, history or actual cigarette smoking, history or actual drug use, CD4 lymphocyte counts (median or proportion below 350 cells/mm3), mean HIV RNA viral load or the proportion of patients with HIV RNA < 1,000 copies/ml. The transmission rate for the sample of pregnant women was zero. The reported adherence rates to HAART for women living with HIV were highest among the pregnant women. This difference was statistically significant (Chi Sq 0.05). The great majority (93%) reported knowing the names of the medications. In spite of reported barriers to adherence, pregnant women attending a multidisciplinary clinic for HIV care and research, reported good rates of adherence to HAART. This is also reflected in the good perinatal outcomes. Non-pregnant women with lower adherence rates might need additional interventions to improve adherence.

Adult↗

Factors associated with sustained virologic suppression in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in an urban HIV care clinic.

Clinical trials commonly measure rates of virologic suppression at a specific time point, whereas sustained virologic suppression is the goal of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We explored factors associated with sustained virologic suppression in an urban clinic population. The study population was drawn from patients who enrolled in Montefiore Medical Center's Infectious Diseases Clinic from 1999 to 2000. A computerized query of the hospital information system generated a list of potential case patients having every HIV- 1 viral load (VL) less than 50 copies per milliliter throughout 2002 (at least three VL measurements were required), and a list of potential controls who failed to demonstrate sustained virologic suppression during 2002. Demographic and clinical information were collected by chart review, and case and control patient characteristics were compared by both univariate and multivariate analyses. Sixty-four case patients were compared to 64 controls. There were no significant differences in age, gender, ethnicity, type of antiretroviral therapy, or frequency of clinic visits. During the year of the study, cases experienced a significantly greater rise in CD4(+) lymphocyte counts than controls (108 cells per microliter versus 27 cells per microliter). On univariate analysis, factors associated with sustained virologic suppression included risk behavior other than heterosexual contact or injection drug use, being a non-smoker, and hepatitis C seropositivity. On logistic regression analysis, factors independently associated with sustained virologic suppression were risk behavior other than heterosexual contact or injection drug use (IDU), and hepatitis C seropositivity. In this study sample, being a nonsmoker, having a risk behavior for HIV acquisition other than heterosexual contact or IDU, and being seropositive for hepatitis C were associated with sustained virologic suppression. Computerized query of the hospital information system proved to be a powerful tool for the identification of study patients in a real-world clinic environment.

Adult↗

Serum beta 2-microglobulin at HIV-1 seroconversion as a predictor of severe immunodeficiency during 10 years of followup.

In order to examine the relevance of early immune activation to the long-term course of HIV infection, we evaluated the ability of the serum beta 2-microglobulin level measured in 63 haemophiliacs on average 4.9 months from HIV seroconversion to predict the rate of development of server immunodeficiency (CD4) lymphocyte count 50/mm3) or AIDS over the following 10 years. Patients with higher beta 2-microglobulin values tended to develop severe immunodeficiency/AIDS more rapidly than those with lower levels (relative risk 1.68 per 1 mg/L increase; 95% CI 1.26-2.26; p = 0.0004). Older patients also progressed more rapidly, and these two factors acted independently (relative risk 1.65 per 1 mg/L increase; 95% CI 1.21-2.72; p = 0.002 for beta 2-microglobulin and 1.22 per 10 years; 95% CI 1.01-1.48; p = 0.04 for age). These results provide further evidence that the long-term course of HIV infection can, to some extent, be predicted soon after infection. Older patients with high beta 2-microglobulin levels warrant close monitoring and consideration for early antiretroviral therapy.

Adolescent↗

Selective drug taking during combination antiretroviral therapy in an unselected clinic population.

OBJECTIVES: Multidrug therapy is necessary to achieve sustained viral suppression. Discordant adherence to individual components of a multidrug regimen may lead to adverse outcomes. METHODS: Antiretroviral-naive patients initiating therapy from 1997 through 2002 were included. Adherence for each antiretroviral was determined using pharmacy refill data. Selective drug taking was defined as > or =5% difference in adherence between 2 components of an antiretroviral regimen lasting at least 60 days. RESULTS: A total of 322 of 415 patients (78%) met inclusion criteria. Selective drug taking occurred in 47 of 322 patients (15%) and on 51 of 438 regimens (12%). Factors associated with selective drug taking were lower baseline CD4 lymphocyte count (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1 to 1.6 per 100 cell/microL decrease); 3 times daily dosing schedule (AOR: 4.1, 95% CI: 1.1 to 15.5); and the presence of significant adverse drug events (AOR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.3 to 6.4). Regimens containing a fixed-dose combination dosage form were less likely to have selective drug taking (AOR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.2 to 0.99). Outcomes independently associated with selective drug taking included earlier progression to a new AIDS-defining illness or death (hazard ratio: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2 to 4.5). CONCLUSIONS: Selective drug taking was relatively common among patients taking combination antiretroviral therapy. The factor most closely associated with selective drug taking was the presence of an adverse drug event. Clinical outcomes appeared worse in patients with selective drug taking.

Adult↗

The clinical characteristics and antiretroviral dosing patterns of HIV-infected patients receiving dialysis.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related renal disease is the third leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) among African Americans aged 24 to 60 years. This study describes the clinical characteristics and antiretroviral dosing patterns of HIV-infected patients receiving dialysis to define the clinical needs of this growing population. METHODS: Demographic and clinical information was collected on all HIV-infected patients incident to dialysis after January 1, 1998 until January 1, 2001 at five medical centers. The cohort was described overall and by subgroups based on hepatitis status, CD4 lymphocyte count, and use of antiretroviral therapy. Continuous and categoric variables were compared using either the Wilcoxon rank sum or Student t test and Fisher's exact or chi-square tests, as appropriate. RESULTS: A total of 89 patients were included, 55 of whom were alive at the time of data collection. The mean age was 44.6 years (range, 22.7 to 66.9 years), 74.2% were male, and 83.2% patients were African Americans. While only 45.9% of patients undergoing renal biopsy were diagnosed with HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN), the majority of patients who had not undergone biopsy carried the clinical diagnosis of HIVAN (69.8%, P = 0.03). Of the cohort, 19.7% tested hepatitis B surface antigen positive, and 67.1% had reactive antibody tests for hepatitis C. Patients with hepatitis C were more likely to have experienced intravenous drug use as a risk behavior for HIV acquisition (OR 8.2; 95% CI 2.39, 27.9; P = 0.001] and to be older (OR 1.1 per year of age; 95% CI 1.02, 1.2; P = 0.01). A total of 60.7% of patients were receiving antiretroviral medication at last follow-up. Among patients alive and receiving antiretroviral medications at the time of data collection, absolute CD4+ count rose (268 vs. 339 cells/mL, P = 0.03), while among patients alive, but not receiving antiretroviral medications, absolute CD4+ count did not change (389 vs. 392 cells/mL, P = 0.11) during similar periods of follow-up. No difference was seen between initial and current HIV RNA levels for either group. Among patients receiving antiretroviral medications, there were significant variations in dosing regimens. The greatest variation was seen in the prescribing patterns of lamivudine with a 12-fold difference among patients. CONCLUSION: The projected growth of the HIV-infected ESRD population requires a better understanding of the clinical needs of this population. The high prevalence of coinfection with hepatitis C as well as the wide variations in dosing patterns for antiretroviral medications are areas that require further investigation to minimize morbidity and mortality among this group.

AIDS-Associated Nephropathy↗

Diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infections by qualitative and quantitative PCR in HIV infected patients.

A high incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections is observed in Brazil. These viruses are causatives of significant morbidity and mortality among patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This work, shows the application of a PCR on determination of CMV load in the buffy coat and plasma. We analyzed the samples of 247 HIV infected patients in order to diagnose CMV infection and disease. We developed a semi-quantitative PCR that amplifies part of the glycoprotein B (gB) gene of CMV. The semi-quantitative PCR was carried out only in positive clinical samples in a qualitative PCR confirmed by a nested-PCR. CD4 lymphocyte count, HIV viral load and CMV disease symptom were correlated with CMV load. CMV genome was detected in the buffy coat of 82 of 237 (34.6%) patients, in 10 of these the CMV load was determined varying between 928 and 332 880 viral copies/microg DNA. None of these 237 patients developed any suggestive manifestation of CMV disease. For the other 10 HIV infected patients selected based on the suspicion of CMV disease, CMV genome was detected in only one case. This patient presented a high CMV load, 8 000 000 copies/microg DNA, and developed a disseminated form of CMV disease including hepatitis and retinitis. Our results were greatly influenced by the impact of the highly active antiretroviral therapy that reduced incidence of CMV viremia and occurrence of CMV disease in the HIV infected patients.

Adult↗

Two-day oral desensitization to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in HIV-infected patients.

OBJECTIVE: To establish whether an outpatient, 2-day oral desensitization protocol would be both safe and effective in HIV-infected patients with previous trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) intolerance. DESIGN: A single center trial of TMP-SMX desensitization in HIV-infected patients with prior TMP-SMX hypersensitivity reactions. METHODS: HIV-infected patients with CD4 lymphocyte counts < 250 x 10(6)/l cells or CD4% < 20% with previous non-life-threatening hypersensitivity reactions to TMP-SMX were eligible. The desensitization protocol utilized 40 graduated doses over 36 h; the first 28 doses (7.5 h) of the protocol were given in an outpatient clinic with the remaining doses taken at home. RESULTS: Twenty-seven (60%) of the 45 subjects completed the protocol and were subsequently maintained on daily TMP-SMX without adverse reactions (mean follow-up, 9 months; range, 4-16 months). Patients with CD4 counts < 100 x 10(6)/l cells were just as likely as patients with higher CD4 counts to tolerate the desensitization. No patient required hospitalization for treatment of an adverse reaction. CONCLUSION: Oral desensitization to TMP-SMX in HIV-infected patients is a useful option in the management of patients with advanced HIV disease and prior intolerance to TMP-SMX.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Pulmonary infection in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the pathogens causing pulmonary infection in 272 HIV-infected patients admitted to a university hospital from January 1993 through December 1998. RESULTS: A total of 158 (58%) patients had pulmonary complications, all but two of whom had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). There were 156 episodes of pulmonary infection, involving 124 patients. The most common pulmonary infection was Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP): 66 patients had 77 episodes of PCP, all of which occurred in patients with CD4+ lymphocyte counts below 0.2 x 10(9)/L (200/microL). Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), diagnosed in 47 patients, was the second most common pulmonary infection. Twenty TB patients had open TB. HIV-infected patients who were immigrants from Southeast Asia (9/23, 39%) had a higher risk of developing pulmonary TB than nonimmigrants (38/249, 15%) (p = 0.004). Only one of 17 episodes of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia was caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Less common opportunistic pulmonary pathogens included cytomegalovirus (5 cases), Aspergillus species (3), Cryptococcus neoformans (3), Mycobacterium avium complex (2), Penicillium marneffei (1), Nocardia species (1), and Rhodococcus equi (1). CONCLUSIONS: PCP and pulmonary TB are the two leading pulmonary infections in Taiwanese HIV/AIDS patients. These findings should be taken into consideration when developing management strategies and public health policies.

Adolescent↗

High incidence of herpes zoster in patients with AIDS soon after therapy with protease inhibitors.

A high incidence of herpes zoster was noticed among patients with AIDS, shortly after addition of a protease inhibitor to their baseline treatment with nucleoside analogue reverse-transcriptase inhibitors. Within a median follow-up of 64 weeks (range, 34-103 weeks), 14 patients (7%) had a first episode or a recurrence of herpes zoster (6.2 episodes per 100 patient-years). No episodes of zoster were diagnosed before week 4. Twelve episodes (86%) occurred between weeks 4 and 16. The risk of zoster was independent of age, sex, type of protease inhibitor, and CD4+ lymphocyte count and viral load at baseline and month 1. A CD8+ lymphocyte proportion at baseline of > 66% (hazard ratio [HR], 10.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.4-33.1) and an increase in CD8+ lymphocyte proportion at month 1 of > 5% (HR, 32; 95% CI, 8.1-126.4) were independently associated with the risk of herpes zoster. These data might be clinically useful for determining transient prophylaxis for those patients at high risk.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Mycobacterium avium: a potentially treatable cause of pericardial effusions.

We present a patient with a very large pericardial effusion due to disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection with associated bacteraemia and gastroenteritis. He was HIV antibody-positive with a CD4+ lymphocyte count of 10 x 10(6)/l. He complained of fevers, diarrhoea and dyspnoea and an echocardiogram showed a pericardial effusion. Chest X-ray showed progressive enlargement of the cardiac silhouette over a 3-month period. The effusion was drained surgically and antimycobacterial therapy (clarithromycin, clofazamine, rifampicin, ciprofloxacin, amikacin) was initiated. The patient had complete resolution of his pericardial effusion both clinically and radiologically. Three other AIDS patients with pericardial effusions caused by MAC are described in the medical literature, two died of cardiac dysfunction shortly after diagnosis. There is a case described of MAC-related pericardial effusion in a HIV-negative immunocompetent patient which resolved antimycobacterial therapy. MAC should be included in the differential diagnosis of pericardial effusions in AIDS patients. A combination of medical therapy and surgical intervention may give rise to considerable clinical benefit especially if initiated early.

Adult↗

HIV type 1-specific IgG2 antibodies: markers of helper T cell type 1 response and prognostic marker of long-term nonprogression.

The helper T type 1 (Th1) function of CD4(+) T lymphocytes is presumed to be of key importance in host defense against HIV-1. As the production of different antibody isotypes is dependent on this helper T function, we investigated whether HIV-1-specific responses of a particular IgG isotype could be a reliable marker of long-term HIV-1 control. Assessment of the IgG subclass distribution in the plasma of HIV-1-infected patients enrolled in the French prospective Asymptomatic Long-Term (ALT) cohort showed that IgG2 directed against HIV-1 Env gp41 and Gag proteins was associated with low viral load, high CD4(+) lymphocyte count, and weak neutralizing activity. By contrast, levels of anti-Env and anti-Pol IgG1 as well as the magnitude of neutralizing activity were correlated with the viral load and thus merely reflect the level of HIV replication. Furthermore, IgG2 directed against Gag proteins was significantly associated with HIV-1 p24-specific Th1 cell production of interferon gamma and interleukin 2. In multivariate analysis, only two variables, anti-gp41 IgG2 and plasma HIV-1 RNA, were found to be independent prognostic factors of remaining long-term nonprogressive over time. By providing new insight into the nature of an HIV-specific antibody response associated with the control of virus replication, these findings have implications for the design of HIV vaccines.

Biomarkers↗

Diagnostic usefulness of percutaneous liver biopsy in HIV-infected patients with fever of unknown origin.

OBJECTIVES: to determine the value of percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB) in the diagnosis of fever of unknown origin (FUO) in HIV-infected patients and establish a prediction model for its usefulness to enable diagnosis of FUO in these patients to be standardized. METHODS: a total of 58 HIV-infected patients who underwent PLB for the evaluation of FUO were studied at 'Carlos Haya' Hospital in Malaga, Spain. The patients were classified into three groups, according to the results of the PLB: (a) diagnostic PLB (when a definitive diagnosis was obtained); (b) helpful PLB (the tissue sample showed suggestive, but not definitive, findings); and (c) normal or non-specific PLB (no contribution to diagnosis, the findings being normal or irrelevant). Multivariate analysis was made to establish a prediction model for the diagnostic usefulness of PLB, calculating the positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values. RESULTS: PLB was carried out in 58 HIV-infected patients during diagnosis of FUO. Risk factors for HIV infection included intravenous drug use (72.4%), homosexual or bisexual activities (12.1%), and heterosexual transmission (15.5%). Fifty-two out of 58 patients (89.6%) had previous AIDS-defining illnesses. The mean CD4 lymphocyte count +/-SD was 56.4+/-80.9/mm3. The mean duration of fever was 43 days. Diagnosis could be established in 51 (87.9%) patients, with tuberculosis (50%) and leishmaniasis (20.7%) being the most common. The PLB was diagnostic in 25 cases (43.1%), helpful in 13 (22.4%), and normal or non-specific in the remaining 20 (34.5%). Biopsy-associated complications occurred in two cases. The presence of hepatomegaly or splenomegaly were the most useful factors in predicting the usefulness of the PLB, with a PPV of 86.1% and NPV of 68.2%. In patients with tuberculosis, an increased alkaline phosphatase and hepatomegaly had a PPV of 86.4% and a NPV of 71.4%. CONCLUSIONS: PLB is a useful technique for the diagnosis of FUO in HIV-infected persons. Early PLB should be considered in those patients with hepatosplenomegaly and increased alkaline phosphatase levels.

Adult↗

GB virus C infection in children with perinatal human immunodeficiency virus infection.

BACKGROUND: GB virus C (GBV-C) infection occurs in 20-40% of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adults, and coinfection is associated with improved HIV disease outcome. METHODS: To determine the prevalence of GBV-C infection in children who were perinatally infected with HIV, we conducted a cross-sectional prevalence survey in a cohort of perinatally infected HIV-positive children selected from a large, multicenter observational protocol. A blood specimen was obtained and tested for GBV-C viremia with the use of a qualitative GBV-C RNA assay and screened for past GBV-C infection with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect antibodies to the GBV-C envelope protein E2 (E2 Ab). RESULTS: The 354 children who participated in the substudy were relatively healthy, with a median CD4 of 784 cells/mm and median HIV-1 viral load of 1055 copies/mL. The prevalence of GBV-C viremia was 20 of 353 or 5.7% (95% confidence interval, 3.5-8.6%), and the prevalence of E2 Ab was 12 of 354 or 3.4% (95% confidence interval, 1.8-5.8%). GBV-C viremic patients were older than patients without past GBV-C infection (median age, 12.8 years versus 10.7 years). Median CD4 lymphocyte counts were highest in subjects without GBV-C infection and lowest in those with E2 Ab. CONCLUSIONS: GBV-C prevalence rates are lower in children with perinatal HIV infection than those reported for HIV-infected adults. With the exception of evidence that GBV-C viremic children had lower rates of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HIV disease category C disease before GBV-C testing, we did not find evidence of improved HIV disease outcome in coinfected patients, but the number of HIV/GBV-C-coinfected children was small.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Genomic structure of an attenuated quasi species of HIV-1 from a blood transfusion donor and recipients.

A blood donor infected with human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) and a cohort of six blood or blood product recipients infected from this donor remain free of HIV-1-related disease with stable and normal CD4 lymphocyte counts 10 to 14 years after infection. HIV-1 sequences from either virus isolates or patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells had similar deletions in the nef gene and in the region of overlap of nef and the U3 region of the long terminal repeat (LTR). Full-length sequencing of one isolate genome and amplification of selected HIV-1 genome regions from other cohort members revealed no other abnormalities of obvious functional significance. These data show that survival after HIV infection can be determined by the HIV genome and support the importance of nef or the U3 region of the LTR in determining the pathogenicity of HIV-1.

Adult↗

Results of a randomized study of IM862 nasal solution in the treatment of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma.

PURPOSE: Although advances have been made in the treatment of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (AIDS-KS) with systemic chemotherapy, less toxic therapies are needed. IM862 is a naturally occurring peptide with antiangiogenic properties and was thus studied in patients with AIDS-KS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: IM862 was given as intranasal drops at a dose of 5 mg. Patients were randomized to two dosing schedules given in repeated cycles until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity: 5 days of therapy followed by 5 days off (n = 18) and every other day dosing (n = 26). RESULTS: Forty-two male patients and two female patients with a median age of 38 years (range, 22 to 53 years) were accrued. Twenty-one patients (47%) had more than 50 mucocutaneous lesions, 14 (32%) had lymphedema, and none had visceral involvement. Thirty-three patients (75%) had received prior systemic chemotherapy. Twenty-four patients (55%) had CD4(+) lymphocyte count </= 200/mm(3). All but five patients were being treated with concurrent protease inhibitor(s), for a median of 10 months (range, 0 to 24 months). Major responses were documented in 36%, with five complete and 11 partial remissions, occurring after a median of 6 weeks (range, 3 to 26 weeks) and lasting a median of 33+ weeks (range, 12+ to 95+ weeks). Twenty-one patients had stable disease for periods of 7 to 72+ weeks. Adverse effects to IM862 were limited to mild and transient headache, fatigue, tingling, and nausea. No hematologic adverse effects attributed to treatment were reported. CONCLUSION: IM862 given as intranasal drops is well tolerated and has antitumor activity in patients with AIDS-KS. A randomized double-blinded study to define the activity of IM862 in patients with AIDS-KS is in progress.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Zygomycosis (mucormycosis) and HIV infection: report of three cases and review.

We report three cases of zygomycosis (mucormycosis) occurring in three individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and review 12 other published cases. We present the only two case reports of disseminated zygomycosis in AIDS patients, and the only AIDS patient with renal zygomycosis to survive without nephrectomy, receiving intravenous (i.v.) amphotericin alone. Coinfection with zygomycosis and HIV is rare, occurs primarily in patients with low CD4+ lymphocyte counts, does not always require the usual predisposing conditions for zygomycosis, and may be the presenting opportunistic infection among HIV-infected persons. Transient episodes of neutropenia occurring within 4 months before presentation may be a risk factor for this disease. Zygomycosis may arise in multiple sites including the basal ganglia, cutaneous tissue, kidney, respiratory tract, and may be disseminated. Occurring more commonly in, but not restricted to, injection drug users, it is significantly associated with sites other than basal ganglia in those patients with advanced HIV disease or AIDS. The presenting symptoms are related to the site of involvement, and the illness may develop insidiously or progress rapidly to a fulminant course. Successful therapy usually consists of surgical debridement and intravenous amphotericin B. Overall mortality in this review is 40%, and is significantly associated with sites of disease inaccessible to surgical debridement.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Diagnosed tuberculosis during the follow-up of a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus-infected children in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire: ANRS 1278 study.

INTRODUCTION: Most data on tuberculosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children in Africa come from hospital-based and cross-sectional studies. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the incidence of tuberculosis in HIV-infected children participating in an observational cohort. METHODS: HIV-infected children in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, are followed in a prospective cohort. At enrollment, all children had a physical examination, CD4 lymphocyte counts, chest radiograph and a tuberculin test. Quarterly follow-up visits are organized. All patients with suspected tuberculosis undergo specific investigations including gastric aspiration and culture. All isolates are tested for susceptibility. RESULTS: From October 2000 to December 2003, 129 girls and 153 boys were recruited. Of children without a current or previous diagnosis of tuberculosis, 6.5% (13 of 199) had a tuberculin test result of >5 mm, compared with 17.5% of children (10 of 57) with current or previous tuberculosis (P < 0.02). Forty-eight children (17%) had a history of treated tuberculosis, and 27 children were being treated for tuberculosis at enrollment or during the first month of follow-up. Eleven children were diagnosed with tuberculosis after the first month of follow-up, and the diagnosis of mycobacterial infection was confirmed in 7 cases. Of 5 tested isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 3 were resistant to at least 1 antitubercular drug. Cumulative incidence of tuberculosis was 2060/100,000 at 12 months, 3390/100,000 at 2 years and 5930/100,000 at 3 years. The 3-year risk was 12,400/100,000 in immunocompromised children (CD4 <15%) and 3300/100,000 in other children (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The risk of tuberculosis among HIV-infected children in Côte d'Ivoire is strongly associated with the degree of immunodeficiency in HIV infection.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗