HIV/AIDS-associated visceral leishmaniasis in patients from an endemic area in Central-west Brazil
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
;
105(5): 692-697, Aug. 2010. graf, tab
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-557232
ABSTRACT
An increase in morbidity associated with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS patients has been described in Africa and the Mediterranean. Despite the high endemicity of VL and HIV-1/AIDS in Brazil, this association has not been thoroughly investigated. Our aim was to evaluate the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of VL-HIV-1/AIDS cases from Central-west [Mato Grosso do Sul (MS)] Brazil. Medical records of 23 VL-HIV-1/AIDS patients were reviewed. Patients were predominantly adult males (87 percent) and 34.8 percent of the patients were intravenous drug users (IVDU). Leishmaniasis was the first opportunistic infection in 60 percent of the HIV-1 patients. Fever occurred in all patients, although splenomegaly and hepatomegaly were absent in 21.7 percent of the cases. CD4+ T-cell counts were below 200 cells/mm³ in 80 percent of the cases and the counts did not increase after clinical remission despite antiretroviral therapy. The first drug chosen to treat the cases was antimonial, but the therapeutic regimen was altered to amphotericin B in 12 of 17 cases due to side effects. Relapses were reported in 56.5 percent of the patients. IVDU may constitute an important risk factor for the transmission of both diseases in MS. VL-HIV-1/AIDS patients in MS share similar clinical characteristics as those from other endemic regions worldwide. Thus, these findings are critical for improving the surveillance of VL-HIV/AIDS patients.
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections
/
Endemic Diseases
/
Leishmaniasis, Visceral
Type of study:
Etiology study
/
Risk factors
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Brazil
Language:
English
Journal:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Journal subject:
Tropical Medicine
/
Parasitology
Year:
2010
Type:
Article
/
Project document
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz/BR
/
Prefeitura Municipal de Campo Grande/BR
/
Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul/BR
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