Factors affecting disclosure of HIV-positive serostatus among people living with HIV/AIDS attending an antiretroviral therapy center of Eastern India

Background: HIV serostatus disclosure plays an important role in reducing the risk of HIV transmission. However, its negative effects may include rejection, assault, separation, divorce, stigma, and discrimination. Objectives: This study was undertaken to find out the proportion of HIV-positive serostatus disclosure to any family member and different factors influencing disclosure among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among all patients aged 18� years with confirmed HIV infection registered at the antiretroviral therapy center of a tertiary care hospital in eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, India, for the duration of 1 year, from July 2017 to June 2018. Results: Most of the respondents were aged 30� years (79.9%), male (63.2%), married (85.4%), rural residents (60.4%), Hindu (96.5%), literate (84%), employed/driver (61.8%), and belonged to lower/lower middle class (62.6%). The rate of disclosure of HIV-positive status to any family member was quite high in this study (238/288 or 82.6%), among which 92.9% (221/238) to the spouse only. The number of sexual partners before disclosure, educational status, and socioeconomic status of the respondents were found to be independent predictors of disclosure of HIV-positive status to any family member (P < 0.05). Conclusions: This study indicates the need of giving more emphasis on creating awareness regarding the importance of HIV serostatus disclosure to any family member, especially to spouse, and encourage all PLWHA in the community to disclose their status. Effective strategies also need to be evolved that will target those not likely to disclose their status to anybody.

Study of leukocyte profile in patients of fever with splenomegaly

Background: There are many different possible etiologies of fever with splenomegaly; few patients with prolonged fever will remain undiagnosed despite an intensive diagnostic work-up. The presence of splenomegaly in patients with fever narrows down the differential diagnosis. Objectives: The objectives of this study were as follows: (I) To evaluate the causes of fever with splenomegaly and (II) to study the leukocyte profile which includes pattern of total leukocyte count and differential leukocyte count (DLC) in various diseases presenting as fever with splenomegaly. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 patients with fever and splenomegaly were included in the study. Complete hematological study such as complete blood count provided with main focus on total leukocyte count and DLC including neutrophil, basophil, eosinophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte and peripheral blood smear to especially note the morphology of white blood cells (WBCs) and to determine their relative percentage in blood. Results: A total of 100 patients of fever with splenomegaly with male and female ratio of 1.7:1 were included in the study. While considering age-wise distribution, the highest percentage of cases was fell in the age group of 21–30 years. Infectious causes constituted 55% of cases, followed by hematological malignancies constituting 33% of cases. Other causes included 12% of cases. Kala-azar was the most common cause of fever with splenomegaly in our study followed by malaria and acute myeloid leukemia. Pancytopenia was found in 29% of cases and followed by 38% of bicytopenia cases in our study. About 32% of cases presented with normal total leukocyte count, 39% of cases showed leukopenia, and 29% of cases showed leukocytosis. Leukopenia was commonly found in kala-azar followed by hypersplenism. Neutropenia was most commonly present in kala-azar. Conclusion: This study helps in understanding the distribution of leukocyte count and DLC pattern in various diseases presented as fever with splenomegaly and also the variable presenting signs and symptoms of these diseases so that the patients of fever with splenomegaly investigated and treated in a proper manner.

Identification, antifungal resistance profile, in vitro biofilm formation and ultrastructural characteristics of Candida species isolated from diabetic foot patients in Northern India.

Purpose: Diabetic foot ulcers are a serious cause of diagnostic and therapeutic concern. The following study was undertaken to determine the fungal causes of diabetic foot ulcers, with their phenotypic and genotypic characterisation. Materials and Methods: A total of 155 diabetic foot ulcers were studied for 1 year. Deep tissue specimen was collected from the wounds, and crushed samples were plated on Sabouraud dextrose agar with chloramphenicol (0.05 g). Identification was done by growth on cornmeal agar, germ tube formation and urease test. For molecular identification, conserved portion of the 18S rDNA region, the adjacent internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and a portion of the 28S rDNA region were amplified, using the ITS1 and ITS2 primers. Antifungal susceptibility against voriconazole, fluconazole and amphotericin B was determined by standard broth microdilution method. Biofilm formation was studied in three steps. First, on the surface of wells of microtiter plates followed by quantification of growth by fungal metabolism measurement. Finally, biofilms were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: Fungal aetiology was found in 75 patients (48.38%). All were identified as Candida species (100%). The prevalence of different species was Candida tropicalis (34.6%), Candida albicans (29.3%), Candida krusei (16.0%), Candida parapsilosis (10.6%), Candida glabrata (9.33%). All were susceptible to amphotericin B (100%). On microtiter plate, all the isolates were viable within 48 h showing biofilms. The metabolic activity of cells in the biofilm increased with cellular mass, especially in the first 24 h. On SEM, majority showed budding yeast form. Conclusion: Non‑albicans Candida spp. with potential biofilm forming ability are emerging as a predominant cause of diabetic foot ulcers.

Correlation between clinical features and degree of immunosuppression in HIV infected children.

We conducted this study to find out correlation of CD4% with clinical status in 102 HIV infected antiretroviral naive children. Mean age of presentation was 4.8 years. Perinatal transmission was the commonest mode of transmission (94%). Fever (53%), chronic diarrhea (36%), and cough (29%) were the commonest presenting symptoms. Protein energy malnutrition was seen in 56.7% of children. 33.3% children were asymptomatic, whereas 45.1% were in WHO clinical stages III and IV at the time of presentation. The most common opportunistic infection was tuberculosis. CD4% correlated significantly with the deterioration of the WHO clinical stages (P<0.01) and increasing grades of protein energy malnutrition (P< 0.05).

Study on clinico-epidemiological profile of HIV patients in eastern India.

In this study, 438 HIV positive patients attending the HIV clinic of Sir Sundar Lal Hospital, IMS, BHU were enrolled. Of these 354 were males (mean CD4 count 179 +/- 9.3 cells/microl) and 84 were females (mean CD4 count 323 +/- 28.26 cells/microl). The mean age of the study subjects at the time of diagnosis was 32.6 years. Heterosexual contact was the commonest mode of transmission in 352 (80.4%) patients followed by blood transfusion in 2.5%.History suggestive of a risk factor for HIV transmission could not be elicited in 62 (14.1%) patients. Among male patients, 71.5% were migrant workers. Fever (70.6%), weight loss (53.3%), chronic diarrhea (43.9%) and cough (40.3%) were the common presenting symptoms. Out of the 438 patients, 66.4% had opportunistic infections at the time of reporting to the hospital. The most common opportunistic infection was tuberculosis (38.8%) followed by oropharyngeal candidiasis (20.3%) and diarrhea (12.7%). CD4 counts of the patients were significantly inversely correlated with the number of symptoms and the number of opportunistic infections (correlation coefficient were -.289 and -.236 respectively).