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Objective:To explore the early differential diagnosis method by comparing the clinical characteristics of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients complicated with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and cryptococcus neoformans meningitis (CNM).Methods:The AIDS patients admitted to Guangzhou Eighth People′s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University from January 2011 to February 2022 and diagnosed with combined TBM and CNM after discharge respectively were included. A retrospective study was performed to analyze the clinical features of 21 AIDS patients complicated with TBM (TBM group) and 54 AIDS patients with CNM (CNM group) (all cases were confirmed by etiology). The data of meningitis-related symptoms and signs, blood routine test, CD4 + T lymphocyte counts, imaging characteristics and cerebrospinal fluid examination at admission were collected and analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed by using independent sample t test, rank sum test or chi-square test. Results:The age of patients in the TBM group was (44.6±12.9) years old, which was older than that of patients in the CNM ((37.6±12.6) years old), the difference was statistically significant ( t=-2.15, P=0.035). Forty-eight cases (88.89%) and seven cases (12.96%) in the CNM group experienced headaches and consciousness disorders respectively, with statistically significant differences compared to those in the TBM group (13 cases (61.90%) and nine cases (42.86%), respectively) ( χ2=7.25, P=0.007 and χ2=8.05, P=0.005, respectively). The proportion of leukopenia was 27.78%(15/54), and proportion of thrombocytopenia was 16.67%(9/54) in the CNM group, which were higher than those in the TBM group (4.76%(1/21) and 0(0/21), respectively), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=4.77, P=0.029 and χ2=3.98, P=0.042, respectively). The CD4 + T lymphocyte count in the TBM group was 74.0(92.0)/μL, which was higher than 19.5(56.5)/μL in the CNM group, and the difference was statistically significant ( Z=-2.87, P=0.009). The CNM group had 46 cases (85.19%) with cerebrospinal fluid pressure >180 mmH 2O(1 mmH 2O=0.009 8 kPa) and 24 cases (44.44%) with cerebrospinal fluid pressure >330 mmH 2O, which were significantly higher than those in the TBM group with seven cases (33.33%) and four cases (19.05%), respectively, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=19.61, P<0.001 and χ2=4.17, P=0.041, respectively). Fifty-two point three eight percent (11/21) of patients in the TBM group had a white blood cell counts>200×10 6/L in the cerebrospinal fluid, which was higher than that in the CNM group (1.85%(1/54)), with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=27.23, P<0.001). The white blood cell counts, protein and adenosine deaminase levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of TBM group were significantly higher than those in the CNM group (200.00(579.50)×10 6/L vs 17.50(66.25)×10 6/L, 1 863(2 858) mg/L vs 672 (513) mg/L and 6.60 (8.55) U/L vs 1.95(2.60) U/L, respectively), and the cerebrospinal fluid chloride level was lower than that in the CNM group ((107.71±8.22) mmol/L vs (115.99±6.55) mmol/L), and all the differences were statistically significant ( Z=4.11, P<0.001, Z=21.23, P=0.008, Z=2.09, P=0.040 and t=4.57, P<0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in cerebrospinal fluid glucose between the TBM group and the CNM group ((1.86±1.22) mmol/L vs (2.34±1.05) mmol/L, t=-1.72, P=0.090). The proportion of patients with bilateral lung lesions in the TBM group was higher than that in the CNM group, and the difference was statistically significant (100.00%(21/21) vs 40.74% (22/54), χ2=-6.53, P=0.011). Conclusions:Patients with AIDS complicated with TBM are more likely to have consciousness disorders, inflammatory response in the cerebrospinal fluid, and more bilateral lung lesions. In contrast, patients with AIDS complicated with CNM are more frequently to experience severe headache and significant elevation of cerebrospinal fluid pressure, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, and lower peripheral blood CD4 + T lymphocyte counts.
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Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (VPS) in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with cryptococcal neoformans meningitis (CNM).Methods:Patients with AIDS and CNM who were hospitalized in Guangzhou Eighth People′s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University from January 2015 to June 2020 were included and divided into VPS group and conventional treatment group.The data including symptoms and signs of meningitis, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure, CSF routine examination, ink staining, Cryptococcus culture and Cryptococcus culture negative time were obtained, and the clinical efficacy compared between the two groups after six and 48 weeks of treatment.Two independent samples t test or chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Results:Among 66 AIDS patients with CNM, 26 cases in VPS group were (35.7±11.9) years, and 11 cases (42.3%) had CSF pressure> 330 mmH 2O (1 mmH 2O=0.009 8 kPa) at admission, 25 cases (96.2%) were positive for ink staining, and 20 cases (76.9%) had positive culture of Cryptococcus neoformans in CSF. There were 40 cases in the conventional treatment group with age of (38.9±12.9) years, 15 cases (37.5%) had CSF pressure>330 mmH 2O, 32 cases (80.0%) were positive for ink staining, and 31 cases (77.5%) were positive for culture of Cryptococcus neoformans in CSF. There were no significant differences of age, the proportion of patients with CSF pressure>330 mmH 2O, positive rate of ink staining, positive rate of Cryptococcus culture between the two groups ( t=-1.02, χ2=0.15, 3.49 and 0.00, respectively; all P>0.050). All patients were administrated with antifungal treatment, decreasing CSF pressure treatment, nutritional support and symptomatic treatment after admission. VPS was performed in patients with poor responses after medical conservative treatment in VPS group. At week six of treatment, the recovery rate of CSF pressure in VPS group was 57.7%(15/26), and the partial remission rate was 73.1%(19/26), which were both higher than those in conventional treatment group (31.0%(9/29) and 47.5%(19/40), respectively). The differences were both statistically significant ( χ2=3.96 and 4.22, respectively, both P<0.050). At week 48 of treatment, the recovery rate of CSF pressure in VPS group was 92.3%(24/26), the negative rate of Cryptococcus culture in CSF was 100.0%(20/20), and the complete remission rate was 46.2%(12/26), which were all higher than those in conventional treatment group (37.9%(11/29), 67.7%(21/31) and 20.0%(8/40), respectively). The differences were all statistically significant ( χ2=17.52, 8.03 and 5.10, respectively, all P<0.050). In VPS group, 22 cases were complete or partial remission, four cases were ineffective, and no death occurred, while there were 23 cases of complete or partial remission, 12 cases of ineffective and five cases of death in the conventional treatment group. The proportion of ineffective or death in the VPS group was 15.4%(4/26), which was lower than 42.5%(17/40) in the conventional treatment group. The difference was statistically significant ( χ2=5.34, P=0.021). Conclusions:VPS in AIDS patients with CNM could significantly improve the treatment outcomes, and reduce the rates of treatment failure and mortality.
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Objective@#To investigate the optimal duration of pegylated-alpha interferon (Peg-INFα) combined with ribavirin (RBV) in treating chronic hepatitis C infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients.@*Methods@#A multicenter prospective study was conducted. The study subjects were divided into two groups; HIV/HCV co-infections (Group A, n = 158) and control with HCV-monoinfections (Group B, n = 60). All recruited patients received standard Peg-INFα plus RBV therapy. Group A was divided into 3 subgroups according to CD4+ cell counts: A1 subgroup, 79 cases, CD4+ counts > 350 cells /μl, who received anti-HCV before combination antiretroviral therapy(cART); A2 subgroup, 45 cases, CD4+ counts between 200 and 350 cells/μl, who did not start anti-HCV until they could tolerate cART well; A3 subgroup, 34 cases, CD4+ counts < 200 cells /μl, cART was administered first, and anti-HCV therapy was started when CD4+ counts > 200 cells/μl. The anti-HCV efficacy of two groups and 3 subgroups were compared. Statistical analysis for normal distribution and homogeneity of variance data was calculated by t-test and the counting data was analyzed by χ 2 test. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for non-normal data. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for the comparison of multiple groups, followed by SNK method. Multiple independent samples were used for non-parametric tests.@*Results@#There was no significant difference in age and baseline HCV RNA levels between groups and subgroups (P > 0.05). By an intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis, in Group A, the ratio of complete early virological response (cEVR) rate was 75.3% (119/158), the ratio of end of treatment virological response (eTVR) rate was 68.4% (108/158), and the ratio of sustained virological response (SVR) rate was 48.7% (77/158); in Group B, the ratio of cEVR rate was 93.3% (56/60), the ratio of eTVR rate was 90.0% (54/60), and the ratio of SVR rate was 71.7% (43/60); The therapeutic index of Group A were lower than those of Group B (P≤0.05). By per-protocol (PP) analysis, the ratio of cEVR rate in Group A [75.2% (88/112)] was still lower than that in Group B [93.3% (56/60)], but no significant differences were found in the ratio of eTVR rate and SVR rate between 2 groups (P > 0.05). Comparing the efficacy of subgroups (A1, A2 and A3) by ITT analysis, the ratios of cEVR rate were respectively 78.5% (62/79), 75.6% (34/45) and 67.6% (23/34); the ratios of eTVR rate were respectively 68.4%(54/79), 80.0%(36/45)and 52.9%(18/34); and the ratios of SVR rate were respectively 41.8%(33/79), 64.4%(29/45)and 44.1%(15/34). The ratio of eTVR in subgroup A2 was obviously higher than that in subgroup A3 and the ratio of SVR in subgroup A2 was statistically higher than that of subgroup A1(P≤0.05). However, by PP analysis, no significant differences of the therapeutic indexes were found among the respective subgroups (P > 0.05).@*Conclusion@#HIV-HCV co-infected patients would have better anti-HCV efficacy with Peg-INFα-2a plus RBV than HCV- monoinfected patients. The best time for initiating anti-HCV therapy in HIV-HCV co-infected patients is when CD4+ counts 200 cells/ μl.