Prospective cohort of AIDS patients screened for cryptococcal antigenaemia, pre-emptively treated and followed in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Cryptococcal meningitis has a high morbidity and mortality among AIDS population. Cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) detection is considered an independent predictor for meningitis and death. Since 2011, the World Health Organization recommends CrAg screening for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) with CD4 counts <100-200 cells/µl. Its implementation is still limited in low-middle-income countries. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and predictors of CrAg positivity in PLHAs. We also evaluated outcomes among those who were CrAg-positive. METHODS: Prospective cohort conducted at an infectious diseases hospital, in Brazil. Adults with CD4 <200 cells/µl, without previous cryptococcal disease and regardless of symptoms, were enrolled from 2015 to 2018. CrAg tests were performed by LFA. Lumbar puncture was done in CrAg+ individuals and pre-emptive therapy was offered for those without meningitis. RESULTS: Of 214 individuals recruited, 88% were antiretroviral experienced, of which only 11.6% with viral suppression. Overall, CrAg prevalence was 7.9% (95% CI, 4.7-12.4). In CD4 ≤100 cells/µl group it was 7.5% (95% CI, 4.1-12.6) and 9.1% (95% CI, 3.4-19.0) in the group with CD4 101 to 199 cells/µl (p = 0.17). Prevalence in asymptomatic subjects was 5.3% (95% CI, 1.4-13.1). One among 17 CrAg+ participants had documented meningoencephalitis and no subclinical meningitis was detected. Adherence to pre-emptive treatment was 68.7% (11/16). There were no statistically significant differences in sociodemographic, clinical or laboratory characteristics to predict CrAg positivity. No case of cryptococcal disease was diagnosed among CrAg + subjects, followed by a median of 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: CrAg screening for severely immunosuppressed PLHAs in Brazil yielded a prevalence of 7.9%. No difference was found in the prevalence of CrAg stratified by CD4 values (CD4 <100 versus CD4 101-199 cells/µl). No clinical nor laboratory factors predicted CrAg positivity, corroborating the need for the implementation of universal CrAg screening for PLHAs with CD4 <200 cells/µl in similar settings.

Disseminated histoplasmosis in AIDS patients: an urban disease. Experience in a metropolis in the middle east of Brasil.

Histoplasmosis is a fungal disease commonly observed as an opportunistic disease in AIDS patients. It is a neglected disease in many countries, particularly Latin America, including Brazil. It is related with environmental factors, even in urban areas, where the incidence has increased. Implementing a descriptive ecological study, we performed a retrospective chart review for data collected between January 2003 and July 2014 for AIDS patients with histoplasmosis who lived in Goiania. The selected cases were georeferenced to analyse the incidence of histoplasmosis in AIDS patients in the metropolitan area of Goiania. In all, 166 patients (130 men) met the criteria for AIDS and histoplasmosis coinfection. Almost half of the patients (41%) had simultaneous histoplasmosis and AIDS diagnoses. The general mortality was 53% (88 patients). The main symptoms involved the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cutaneous systems. The distribution of cases included almost all regions of the urban areas, with some predominance in the eastern and western regions close to areas of environmental degradation, contaminated water sources and unplanned urbanisation. In conclusion, coinfection with HIV and disseminated histoplasmosis is common and associated with high mortality rates in our referral hospital for infectious diseases. Despite being considered as having a predominantly rural epidemiology, many patients reported living in urban areas such as Goiânia and Aparecida de Goiânia. Our findings suggest the need for environmental studies to evaluate environmental contamination and possible local risk factors for H. capsulatum infection in addition to serological surveys to determine the prevalence of this infection in the studied cities.

Mycobacterium sherrisii Lung Infection in a Brazilian Patient with Silicosis and a History of Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) diseases became relevant with the emergence and spread of HIV and are also related to lung infection in non-HIV individuals with structural lung diseases. Mycobacterium sherrisii is a NTM first characterized in 2004. Only a few cases have been reported. The aim of this case report is to describe the first detailed case of infection with M. sherrisii in a patient with silicosis and history of pulmonary tuberculosis. A 50-year-old HIV-negative white male, previous smoker, with silicosis and a history of treated pulmonary tuberculosis developed a worsening of cough and expectoration pattern, and two sputum samples were positive for acid-fast bacilli. Presumptive treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis was initiated with rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, but, at month 5 of treatment, despite correct medication intake and slight improvement of symptoms, sputum bacilloscopy remained positive. Sputum cultures were positive Mycobacterium sherrisii. Treatment regimen was altered to streptomycin (for 2 months), ethambutol, clarithromycin, rifabutin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. M. sherrisii should be considered a possible etiological agent of lung infections in patients with pneumoconiosis and history of tuberculosis.

Herpetic esophagitis in immunocompetent medical student.

Esophagitis caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) is often documented during periods of immunosuppression in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); it is rare in immunocompetent diagnosed patients. Case reports of herpetic esophagitis in students of health sciences are extremely rare. The disease presents with a clinical picture characterized by acute odynophagia and retrosternal pain without obvious causes and ulcers, evidenced endoscopically in the middistal esophagus. Diagnosis depends on endoscopy, biopsies for pathology studies, and immunohistochemistry techniques. The disease course is often benign; however, treatment with acyclovir speeds the disappearance of symptoms and limits the severity of infection. In this report, we present a case of herpetic esophagitis in an immunocompetent medical student, with reference to its clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment. The disease may have manifested as a result of emotional stress experienced by the patient.

Tuberculosis deaths in a tertiary hospital in Goiânia, Brazil: a descriptive study.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious global public health problem, being the main cause of death in patients with AIDS, and the third cause of death by infectious diseases throughout the world. This is somewhat surprising because TB is a disease that, if treated properly, displays high rates of healing. It is therefore important to characterise these patients to identify target populations for specific measures seeking to reduce TB deaths. We performed a retrospective descriptive study to analyse the cases of TB deaths in a State public hospital, a point of reference for treatment of infectious diseases, located in the Central-West region of Brazil, in the period from January 1st, 2008 to December 31st, 2009. There were 283 diagnosed and reported cases of TB between 2008 and 2009, and 39 recorded deaths occurred, resulting in a lethality index of 14%. The mean age of TB patients was 42 years, and the median age 37 years. Pulmonary TB was the most common form of TB (51.3% of the patients). Of the 39 TB patients who died, 56.4% (n = 22) were co-infected with HIV. The main immediate causes of death were acute respiratory failure (n = 12) and sepsis (n = 8). Anaemia and hypoalbuminaemia were prevalent in this group, and 27 patients required mechanical ventilation. This study found that hospitalized patients who died had the following characteristics: bilateral pulmonary disease, low levels of haemoglobin and haematocrit, albumin, and those co-infected with HIV that were admitted to the ICU required MV. Prospective studies aiming to analyse the risk factors for death from TB are needed to better understand this process.

Immunogenicity of a fusion protein containing immunodominant epitopes of Ag85C, MPT51, and HspX from Mycobacterium tuberculosis in mice and active TB infection.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health problem. The only vaccine against tuberculosis, attenuated Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), has demonstrated relatively low efficacy and does not provide satisfactory protection against the disease in adults. More effective vaccines and better therapies are urgently needed to reduce the global spread of TB. This study evaluated the immunogenicity of a recombinant M. tuberculosis Ag85C-MPT51-HspX fusion protein (CMX) in mice and individuals with active tuberculosis. BALB/c mice were immunized with the CMX protein liposome-encapsulated with CpG DNA or with CpGDNA liposome-encapsulated, liposome or saline as negative controls. The immunization produced high levels of anti-CMX -specific IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies and induced an increase in the relative and absolute numbers of specific TCD4 IFN-γ(+) and TNF-α(+) cells in the spleen. Sera from a cohort of individuals with active tuberculosis contained higher levels of IgG and IgM that recognized CMX when compared to healthy individuals. In conclusion, this protein was shown to be immunogenic both in mice and humans.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus coinfection in a tertiary care hospital in Midwestern Brazil.

Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) increases the risk of tuberculosis (TB), and HIV TB coinfection is associated with higher mortality. This study aimed to characterize patients coinfected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and HIV in a reference centre for cases involving complications or drug resistance in TB. This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a Hospital for Tropical Diseases in the state of Goiás, Midwestern Brazil. Patients' medical records were reviewed between January 2008 and December 2009. Sixty-one cases of TB/HIV coinfection were evaluated, and 54 HIV-seronegative TB cases were selected as controls. The prevalence of TB HIV coinfected patients in 2008/2009 was 23%. Coinfection was more prevalent in men (75.4%), with a mean age of 37.1 years. Pulmonary disease (50.8%) was the most frequent clinical form of TB in coinfected patients, followed by disseminated disease (32.8%). Anaemia, malnutrition and low levels of CD4 T lymphocytes were found in about 80% of coinfected patients. Bilateral pulmonary infiltrates were the most common radiographic finding in coinfected patients (51.8%), and pulmonary cavitation was the rarest event (5.4%). The mortality rate was 2.8 times higher in the TB HIV coinfected group (39.3%) than in TB patients without HIV (18.5%). Actions targeting the TB HIV-coinfected population, based on national and international recommendations, are necessary to improve prognosis and outcomes in TB and HIV infection in the institution.

Splenic rupture in dengue hemorrhagic fever: report of a case and review.

Dengue is currently the most important arboviral disease in the world, particularly in tropical countries in which the environmental conditions favor the development and proliferation of the mosquito vector. Dengue hemorrhagic fever presents in two phases: an initial phase, which is characterized by sudden onset of fever and a variety of nonspecific signs and symptoms, and a critical phase, which is characterized by the recovery from fever and development of hemorrhagic symptoms and circulatory insufficiency. This report documents a case of splenic rupture in a patient with dengue hemorrhagic fever who developed hypovolemic shock and subsequently died. Although splenic rupture is a known complication of other acute infections, it is a rare complication of dengue; therefore, it may be misdiagnosed. In the case described here, the poor outcome mainly resulted from the sudden onset of complications; the patient died of splenic rupture less than 24 h after admission, and the cause of death was confirmed at necropsy.

Cellular responses to MPT-51, GlcB and ESAT-6 among MDR-TB and active tuberculosis patients in Brazil.

Multi-drug resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (MDR-TB) may result from either insufficiency of the host cellular immune response or mycobacterial mechanisms of resistance. Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes from MDR-TB patients are poorly studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate CD4+IFN-gamma+, CD4+IL-10+, CD8(+)IFN-gamma+ and CD8+IL-10+ cell populations by flow cytometry in non-resistant TB and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients from mid-central Brazil after stimulation with MPT-51, GlcB and ESAT-6 recombinant antigens from M. tuberculosis in comparison to tuberculin skin test negative (TST) healthy individuals. Non-resistant TB patients present specific cellular responses (CD4 and CD8, both IFN-gamma and IL-10) to GlcB, MPT-51 and ESAT-6; while MDR-TB patients present only CD8+IFN-gamma+ responses to ESAT-6 and CD8+IL-10+ responses to GlcB and ESAT-6. The results show that MDR-TB patients present impaired specific CD4 IFN-gamma and IL-10 responses and increased/normal specific CD8 IFN-gamma and IL-10 responses. This suggests an important role for CD8 function in these patients.