Incidence and risk factors of antiretroviral treatment failure in treatment-naïve HIV-infected patients at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The use of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has become a standard of care for the treatment of HIV infection. However, cost and resistance to cART are major obstacles for access to treatment especially in resource-limited settings. In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors of treatment failure in a cohort of treatment-naïve Thai HIV-infected patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective cohort study was conducted among HIV-infected patients initiating their first cART at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>From January 2002 to December 2008, 788 patients were enrolled; 365 were male (46.3%), and the mean age was 37.9 ± 8.6 years. The median baseline CD4 count was 57.7 cells/mm³(IQR 22, 127). GPO-VIR^®(a fixed-dose combination of lamivudine, stavudine, and nevirapine) was the most common prescribed cART (657 patients, 83.4%). Seventy-six patients developed virological failure given the cumulative incidence of 9.6%. The incidence of virological failure was 2.79 (95% CI 2.47, 3.14) cases per 100 person years. Poor adherence was the strongest predictor for virological failure. Of 535 immunologically evaluable patients, 179 (33.5%) patients developed immunological failure. A low CD4 cell count at baseline (< 100 cells/mm³) and the increment of CD4 cell count of < 50 cell/mm³after 6 months of cART were the predictors for immunological failure (p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study demonstrated that even in resource-limited settings, the high rate of success could be expected in the cohort with good and sustainable drug adherence. Poor adherence, older age, and low baseline CD4 cell count are the predictors for unfavorable outcome of cART.</p

Amphotericin B and Itraconazole for Treatment of Disseminated Penicillium marneffei Infection in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients

Disseminated infection with Penicillium marneffei is common in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Southeast Asia. Treatment with amphotericin B alone is effective but requires a prolonged hospital stay. We conducted an open-label nonrandomized study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of treatment with amphotericin B at a dosage of 0.6 mg/(kg · d) intraveneously for 2 weeks, followed by a 400-mg/d dosage of oral itraconazole for 10 weeks. Of the 74 HIV-infected patients we studied who had disseminated P. marneffei infection, diagnosed by positive fungal culture and clinical evidence of infection, 72 (97.3%) responded to the treatment. There were no serious adverse drug effects. It was concluded that the regimen was effective and safe for treatment of disseminated P. marneffei infection in HIV-infected patient

First isolation of Leishmania from Northern Thailand:case report, identification as Leishmania martiniquensis and phylogenetic position within the Leishmania enriettii complex

Since 1996, there have been several case reports of autochthonous visceral leishmaniasis in Thailand. Here we report a case in a 52-year-old Thai male from northern Thailand, who presented with subacute fever, huge splenomegaly and pancytopenia. Bone marrow aspiration revealed numerous amastigotes within macrophages. Isolation of Leishmania LSCM1 into culture and DNA sequence analysis (ribosomal RNA ITS-1 and large subunit of RNA polymerase II) revealed the parasites to be members of the Leishmania enriettii complex, and apparently identical to L. martiniquensis previously reported from the Caribbean island of Martinique. This is the first report of visceral leishmaniasis caused by L. martiniquensis from the region. Moreover, the majority of parasites previously identified as "L. siamensis" also appear to be L. martiniquensis

Long-term Cross-reactivity Against Nonvaccine Human Papillomavirus Types 31 and 45 After 2- or 3-Dose Schedules of the AS04-Adjuvanted Human HPV-16/18 Vaccine

This analysis focused on long-term cross-reactive immunogenicity against nonvaccine human papillomavirus (HPV) types 31 and 45 following 2 doses of AS04-adjuvanted HPV-16/18 vaccine in girls aged 9-14 years or following 3 doses in women aged 15-25 years, for up to 3 years (HPV-070 study) and up to 5 years (HPV-048 study) after the first vaccination. Both schedules elicited antibodies against HPV-31 and HPV-45 up to 5 years after first dose. The antibody concentration was similar in young girls as compared to women. Specific CD4+ T-cell and B-cell responses to HPV-31 and HPV-45 at month 36 were similar across groups. Clinical trials registration: NCT01381575 and NCT00541970

Streptococcus agalactiae in adults at chiang mai university hospital: a retrospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infection caused by <it>Streptococcus agalactiae</it>, a Group B streptococcus, is an emerging disease in non-pregnant adults. This study describes the epidemiological, clinical, and microbiological characteristics of <it>S. agalactiae </it>infection in adult patients in northern Thailand.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective study was conducted between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2009 at Chiang Mai University Hospital among patients aged ≥15 years, whose clinical specimens obtained from normally sterile sites grew <it>S. agalactiae</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One-hundred and eighty-six patients and 197 specimens were identified during the 4-year period. Among 186 patients, 82 were documented as having invasive infection; 42 patients were male (51.2%) with the mean age of 48.5 ± 19.4 years (range 17, 83). Fifty-three patients (64.6%) had underlying medical conditions; 17 patients (20.7%), 10 (12.2%), 8 (9.7%) had diabetes, chronic renal diseases, and malignancy, respectively. Among 40 patients (48.8%) with bloodstream infection, no other site of infection was determined in 29 (35.4%) patients. In the remaining 11 patients, 5 patients (6.1%), 5 (6.1%), and 1 (1.2%) had meningitis, arthritis, and meningitis with arthritis, respectively. Forty-two patients (51.2%) presented with localized infection, i.e., subcutaneous abscess (19 patients, 23.2%), chorioamnionitis (10 patients, 12.2%), urinary tract infection (5 patients, 6.1%), arthritis (3 patients, 3.7%), meningitis (2 patients, 2.4%), and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, uveitis, and tracheobronchitis (1 patient each, 1.2%). The overall mortality was 14.6% (12 patients).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>S. agalactiae </it>infection is a growing problem in non-pregnant patients, particularly in those with underlying medical conditions. Physicians should add <it>S. agalactiae </it>infection in the list of differential diagnoses in patients with meningitis and/or septicemia.</p

Efficacy and Safety of Three Antiretroviral Regimens for Initial Treatment of HIV-1: A Randomized Clinical Trial in Diverse Multinational Settings

Background: Antiretroviral regimens with simplified dosing and better safety are needed to maximize the efficiency of antiretroviral delivery in resource-limited settings. We investigated the efficacy and safety of antiretroviral regimens with once-daily compared to twice-daily dosing in diverse areas of the world. Methods and Findings: 1,571 HIV-1-infected persons (47% women) from nine countries in four continents were assigned with equal probability to open-label antiretroviral therapy with efavirenz plus lamivudine-zidovudine (EFV+3TC-ZDV), atazanavir plus didanosine-EC plus emtricitabine (ATV+DDI+FTC), or efavirenz plus emtricitabine-tenofovir-disoproxil fumarate (DF) (EFV+FTC-TDF). ATV+DDI+FTC and EFV+FTC-TDF were hypothesized to be non-inferior to EFV+3TC-ZDV if the upper one-sided 95% confidence bound for the hazard ratio (HR) was ≤1.35 when 30% of participants had treatment failure. An independent monitoring board recommended stopping study follow-up prior to accumulation of 472 treatment failures. Comparing EFV+FTC-TDF to EFV+3TC-ZDV, during a median 184 wk of follow-up there were 95 treatment failures (18%) among 526 participants versus 98 failures among 519 participants (19%; HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.72–1.27; p = 0.74). Safety endpoints occurred in 243 (46%) participants assigned to EFV+FTC-TDF versus 313 (60%) assigned to EFV+3TC-ZDV (HR 0.64, CI 0.54–0.76; p<0.001) and there was a significant interaction between sex and regimen safety (HR 0.50, CI 0.39–0.64 for women; HR 0.79, CI 0.62–1.00 for men; p = 0.01). Comparing ATV+DDI+FTC to EFV+3TC-ZDV, during a median follow-up of 81 wk there were 108 failures (21%) among 526 participants assigned to ATV+DDI+FTC and 76 (15%) among 519 participants assigned to EFV+3TC-ZDV (HR 1.51, CI 1.12–2.04; p = 0.007). Conclusion: EFV+FTC-TDF had similar high efficacy compared to EFV+3TC-ZDV in this trial population, recruited in diverse multinational settings. Superior safety, especially in HIV-1-infected women, and once-daily dosing of EFV+FTC-TDF are advantageous for use of this regimen for initial treatment of HIV-1 infection in resource-limited countries. ATV+DDI+FTC had inferior efficacy and is not recommended as an initial antiretroviral regimen

Lopinavir/ritonavir monotherapy after virologic failure of first-line antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings

To evaluate virologic response rates of lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) monotherapy as second-line antiretroviral treatment (ART) among adults in resource-limited settings (RLS)

A multinational study of neurological performance in antiretroviral therapy-naïve HIV-1-infected persons in diverse resource-constrained settings

Little is known about how the prevalence and incidence of neurological disease in HIV-infected patients in resource-limited settings. We present an analysis of neurological and neurocognitive function in antiretroviral naïve individuals in multinational resource-limited settings

CRYPTOCOCCAL MENINGITIS IN HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS AT CHIANG MAI UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Abstract. Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a common central nervous system infection in HIV-infected patients. This study aimed to determine treatment outcomes among HIV-infected patients who had cryptococcal meningitis and to determine predictors of death. We conducted a retrospective cohort study among HIV-infected patients receiving care at Chiang Mai University Hospital from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2010. We studied 79 patients; 45 (57.0%) were male and the mean age was 35.1±7.2 years. Eleven patients (13.9%) had previous opportunistic infection. The most common presenting symptoms were headache (63 patients, 79.8%), fever (49 patients, 62.0%), and altered consciousness (21 patients, 26.6%). The median CD4+ cell count was 20 cells/mm 3 [Interquartile range (IQR) 10, 53]. The in-hospital, 90-day, and 1-year mortality rates were 24.1%, 32.4%, and 52.2%, respectively. The CM attributable in-hospital, 90-day and 1-year mortality rates were 13.9%, 20.3%, and 23.2%, respectively. Predictors associated with a 1-year mortality were a high cerebrospinal (CSF) cryptococcal antigen titer (&gt;1:10,000) [Odds Ratio (OR) =7.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.62-31.00, p=0.009], and altered consciousness at presentation (OR=5.27; 95% CI: 1. 16-24.05; p=0.032). Cryptococcal meningitis is an important cause of death in HIV-infected patients. HIV-infected patients with a low CD4+ cell count, a headache, fever and altered consciousness should be investigated for CM and those with a high CSF cryptococcal antigen titer are at high risk for mortality