Peripheral nerve abnormality in HIV leprosy patients.

BACKGROUND: The geographical overlap of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and leprosy infection has become increasingly frequent and worrying, bringing many clinical issues. Peripheral neuropathy is very frequent in leprosy because of the predilection of its etiologic agent by Schwann cells of the peripheral nervous system, and it also affects individuals with HIV as one of the most common neurological manifestations. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The present study compared a cohort of 63 patients diagnosed with leprosy and coinfected with HIV with a cohort of 64 patients with leprosy alone, who were followed at the outpatient clinic of the Nucleus of Tropical Medicine of the Federal University of Pará, Brazil. We observed that HIV-coinfected leprosy patients presented greater odds of overall peripheral nerve damage (nerve function impairment-NFI) than patients with leprosy alone. More sensitive damage was observed, especially in patients coinfected with multibacillary forms. Leprosy patients coinfected with HIV presented higher chances of motor damage with improvement over time using multidrug therapy (MDT) and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), along with a greater extent of damage and occurrence of neuritis. The data suggest that in addition to patients presenting possible damage caused by leprosy, they also had a greater damage gradient attributable to HIV disease, but not related to HAART because most of these patients had been on the treatment for less than a year. Neuritis was treated with prednisone at doses recommended by the WHO, and coinfected patients had the highest rate of clinical improvement in the first 60 days. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The clinical characteristics of the two diseases should be considered in leprosy patients coinfected with HIV for better diagnosis and treatment of peripheral neuropathy. We suggest that new simplified assessment tools that allow the evaluation of the NFI of these patients be developed for use in the service.

Leprosy Reactions in Patients Coinfected with HIV: Clinical Aspects and Outcomes in Two Comparative Cohorts in the Amazon Region, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium leprae, can lead to scarring and deformities. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a lymphotropic virus with high rates of replication, leads to cell death in various stages of infection. These diseases have major social and quality of life costs, and although the relevance of their comorbidity is recognized, several aspects are still not fully understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Two cohorts of patients with leprosy in an endemic region of the Amazon were observed. We compared 40 patients with leprosy and HIV (Group 1) and 107 leprosy patients with no comorbidity (Group 2) for a minimum of 2 years. Group 1 predominantly experienced the paucibacillary classification, accounting for 70% of cases, whereas Group 2 primarily experienced the multibacillary classification (80.4% of cases). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of leprosy reactions among the two groups (37.5% for Group 1 vs. 56.1% for Group 2), and the most frequent reaction was Type 1. The appearance of Group 1 patients' reversal reaction skin lesions was consistent with each clinical form: typically erythematous and infiltrated, with similar progression as those patients without HIV, which responded to prednisone. Patients in both groups primarily experienced a single episode (73.3% in Group 1 and 75% in Group 2), and Group 1 had shorter reaction periods (≤3 months; 93.3%), moderate severity (80%), with 93.3% of the patients in the state of acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and 46.7% presenting the reaction at the time of the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study used a large sample and makes a significant contribution to the clinical outcomes of patients in the reactive state with comorbid HIV and leprosy. The data indicate that these diseases, although concurrent, have independent courses.

Perfil de casos e fatores de risco para hanseníase, em menores de quinze anos, em município hiperendêmico da região norte do Brasil. / Profile cases and risk factors for leprosy in under fifteen years in the municipality hyperendemic northern Brazil.

Objetivo: Demonstrar o padrão temporal da hanseníase, aspectos clínicos e relações de contatos, em menores de 15 anos, em área de antiga Colônia de Hansenianos do Norte do Brasil, considerando os fatores de risco. Método: estudo ecológico longitudinal e de série de casos da década 2003 a 2013, em que foram entrevistados 29 pacientes, dos 36 casos notificados no período. Variáveis investigadas: sociodemográficas; história e tempo de contato intradomiciliar; cosanguineidade; critérios clínicos; baciloscopia; realização de BCG e evolução. Resultados: notificados 226 casos de hanseníase de todas as faixas etárias, sendo 15,92% (36 casos) em menores de 15 anos com queda importante no coeficiente de detecção. No Pará redução discreta da notificação. Aumento de casos novos em 2005, 2009 e 2011. Predominaram o gênero feminino, faixa etária de 11 a 14 anos, renda familiar menor que um salário mínimo, grau de escolaridade ensino fundamental, lesão única em membros inferiores, forma MHI-PB, tratamento completo em seis meses de PQT, sem recidiva e sem sequelas com grau zero de incapacidade. Cura em 93,1%, sem baciloscopia. Contato intradomiciliar presente em 86,2% com tempo médio de contato de 8,6 anos e 72,4% das crianças com cicatriz de BCG no diagnóstico. Conclusão: a hanseníase constitui um grave problema de saúde pública na área estudada, com alta taxa de incidência em menores de 15 anos, sendo a recidiva preocupante, o que deve ser bem investigada, pois a exposição é precoce, com fator de risco representado por contato dentro da família, exigindo maior vigilância.

Purpose: To demonstrate the temporal pattern of leprosy, clinical aspects and relations contacts in under 15 years, in an area of old leprosy colony in North of Brazil, considering the risk factors. Method: Series of cases, longitudinal and ecological study of the decade from 2003 to 2013, in which 29 patients of 36 cases were interviewed during the period. Variables investigated: sociodemographics; history and time of household contact; cosanguinity; clinical criterion; baciloscopy; realization of BCG and evolution. Results: 226 cases of leprosy were reported in all age groups and, 15.92% (36 cases) were less than 15 years with a significant decrease in the detection rate. In the state of Para slight reduction of the notification. Increase of new cases in 2005, 2009 and 2011 predominated females, age between 11-14 years, family income less than minimum salary, elementary school education level, single lesion in the lower limbs form MHI-PB, complete treatment in six months of paucibacillary treatment without recurrence and without sequelae, with zero degree of disability. Cure in 93.1% without baciloscopy. Household contacts present in 86.2% with an average contact time of 8.6 years and 72.4% of children with BCG scar in the diagnosis. Conclusion: leprosy is a serious public health problem in the study area with high incidence rate in children under 15 years, with a worrying recurrence, which should be carefully investigated because it is early exposure, with risk factor represented by contact within the family, requiring increased vigilance.s.