A longitudinal and cross-sectional study ofEpstein-Barr virus DNA load: a possible predictor of AIDS-related lymphoma in HIV-infected patients.

INTRODUCTION: HIV-infected patients are more than 100-fold greater at risk for developing malignant AIDS-related lymphoma (ARL) compared to the general population. Most ARLs are EBV related. The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether a high peak EBV DNA load in HIV-infected patients is predictive of ARL, including classical Hodgkin lymphoma. METHODS: From an ongoing prospective HIV positive cohort study, we conducted a case-control study between 2004 and 2016 among patients from whom at least one EBV DNA load in serum or plasma was available. We compared peak EBV DNA load between patients with (49 cases) and without ARL (156 controls). RESULTS: The geometric mean of the peak EBV DNA load measured before diagnosis of malignant lymphoma was 52,565 IU/mL in EBER-positive lymphoma patients vs. 127 IU/mL in controls (p < .001). Patients with EBV DNA loads >100,000 IU/mL have an increased risk for diagnosis of malignant lymphoma compared to patients with EBV DNA loads ≤100,000 IU/mL (adjusted OR 12.53; 95%CI: 4.08; 38.42). In the longitudinal study, including 13 patients with at least three left-over plasma samples available for retesting, measurements of EBV-DNA during the preceding 12 months proved to be of poor value for predicting subsequent lymphoma diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: A EBV DNA load >100,000 IU/mL can be useful in clinical setting to accelerate time to diagnosis and treatment. EBV-DNA loads in samples taken during the preceding year of ARL diagnosis showed to be of poor predictive value.

Diagnostic performance of influenza viruses and RSV rapid antigen detection tests in children in tertiary care.

BACKGROUND: Rapid antigen detection tests (RADTs) are increasingly used to detect influenza viruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). However, their sensitivity and specificity are a matter of debate, challenging their clinical usefulness. OBJECTIVES: Comparing diagnostic performances of BinaxNow Influenza AB(®) (BNI) and BinaxNow RSV(®) (BNR), to those of real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), virus isolation and direct immunofluorescence (D-IF) in paediatric patients. STUDY DESIGN: Between November 2005 and September 2013, 521 nasal washings from symptomatic children (age <5 years) attending our tertiary care centre were tested, with a combination of the respective assays using RT-PCR as gold standard. RESULTS: Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of BNI were 69% (confidence interval [CI] [51-83]), 96% [94-97], 55% [39-70] and 98% [96-99] respectively. Of eleven false-negative samples, RT-PCR Ct-values were higher than all RT-PCR positive test results (27 vs 22, p=0.012). Of twenty false-positive samples, none were culture positive and two tested positive in D-IF. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for BNR were 79% [73-85], 98% [96-99], 97% [93-99] and 88% [84-91]. Of the 42 false-negative samples the median Ct-value was higher than that of all RT-PCR positive samples (31 vs 23, p<0.0001). Five false-positive samples were detected. Three of these tested positive for RSV in virus isolation and D-IF. CONCLUSIONS: RADTs have a high specificity with BNR being superior to BNI. However, their relative low sensitivity limits their usefulness for clinical decision making in a tertiary care paediatric hospital.

HIV testing and antiretroviral treatment strategies for prevention of HIV infection: impact on antiretroviral drug resistance.

'Test and treat' is a strategy in which widespread screening for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is followed by immediate antiretroviral therapy for those testing positive, thereby potentially reducing infectiousness in larger cohorts of infected patients. However, there is a concern that test and treat could lead to increased the levels of transmissible drug-resistant HIV, especially if viral load and/or drug resistance is not routinely monitored. Reviews of the existing literature show that up to now, even in the absence of laboratory tests, drug resistance has not created major problems in sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we discuss the current evidence for the effectiveness of a preventive test and treat approach and the challenges and implications for daily clinical practice and public health.

HIV-1 drug-resistance patterns among patients on failing treatment in a large number of European countries.

BACKGROUND: Information about patterns of HIV-1 drug resistance among treatment-exposed patients is crucial for the development of novel effective drugs. Currently no system exists that monitors patterns of resistance in patients failing therapy. METHODS: The study included 1,988 HIV-1 sequences from patients experiencing therapy failure collected between 2000 and 2004 in 15 European countries. Genotypic resistance was interpreted using the ANRS algorithm. Phenotypic resistance was predicted using the Virco geno- to phenotype system. RESULTS: 80.7% of the sequences included at least one drug-resistance mutation. Mutations were found for NRTIs (73.5%), NNRTIs (48.5%), and protease inhibitors (35.8%). Ninety percent of sequences with genotypic resistance harbored M184V, M41L, K103N, D67N, and/or T215Y. Among NRTIs, resistance was most frequently predicted for lamivudine. About half of all sequences had reduced susceptibility for NNRTIs. Resistance to most boosted protease inhibitors was found in < 25%. No sequence had resistance to all currently available drugs. CONCLUSION: Levels of resistance among patients with therapy failure were high. The patterns of resistance reflect resistance to drugs available for a longer time. Fully suppressive regimens can be designed even for the most mutated HIV because boosted protease inhibitors have remained active against most circulating viruses and new drug classes have become available.

Start of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and increase of antiparkinsonian drug treatment in patients on levodopa.

AIMS: We determined whether the start of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) in levodopa users was followed by a faster increase of antiparkinsonian drug treatment. METHODS: Selected were all levodopa users of 55 years and older from the PHARMO prescription database. The rate of increase of antiparkinsonian drug treatment was compared using Cox's proportional hazard model for starters of SSRI (n = 15) with starters of tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) (n = 31) and with patients not using antidepressants (n = 304), and was adjusted for age, gender, and duration of levodopa use. RESULTS: The hazard ratio for the SSRI group compared with the TCA group was 4.2 (95% confidence interval 1.4, 12.6) and compared with the second control group was 2.7 (1.2, 5.2). CONCLUSIONS: The start of SSRI therapy in levodopa users is followed by a faster increase of antiparkinsonian drug treatment.

Antipsychotics and Parkinson's disease: association with disease and drug choice during the first 5 years of antiparkinsonian drug treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Psychosis is a common complication of the drug treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Treatment of this complication is difficult as most antipsychotic drugs worsen motor symptoms of PD. Only the atypical antipsychotic clozapine improves psychosis without worsening of parkinsonism. The aim of the present study was to assess the rate of initiation of antipsychotic treatment in patients with PD compared with controls. The quality of pharmacotherapy was determined by assessing which antipsychotic drugs were initiated. METHODS: Data came from the PHARMO database, which includes drug-dispensing information for all residents of six Dutch cities. Selected were all persons aged 55 years and older who used levodopa for at least 180 days and who started antiparkinsonian drugs at least 180 days after entry into PHARMO. These patients were matched to at most three controls for age, gender, pharmacy and time of use. The association between rate of initiation of antipsychotic drug treatment and PD was determined using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The study included 271 patients with PD and 748 controls. During follow-up, 38 patients and 25 controls started taking an antipsychotic drug; relative risk was 3.9 (95% confidence interval 2.3, 6.4). Six patients with PD received an atypical agent (16%). Clozapine was given to five patients with PD. No control used clozapine. Haloperidol was most frequently prescribed to the patients (29%) and the controls (36%). CONCLUSION: Patients with PD began taking antipsychotic drugs almost four times more frequently than controls. The quality of pharmacotherapy can be improved by prescribing atypical antipsychotic drugs to patients with PD.

Influence of benzodiazepines on antiparkinsonian drug treatment in levodopa users.

OBJECTIVES: Animal studies showed that benzodiazepines decrease the concentration of dopamine in the striatum. Benzodiazepines may therefore affect the treatment of Parkinson's disease. This study determined whether start of a benzodiazepine in patients on levodopa was followed by a faster increase of antiparkinsonian drug treatment. METHODS: Data came from the PHARMO database, which includes information on drug dispensing for all residents of six Dutch cities. Selected were all patients aged 55 years and older who used levodopa for at least 360 days. The rate of increase of antiparkinsonian drug treatment was compared between starters of a benzodiazepine and controls who did not start a benzodiazepine with the use of Cox's proportional hazard model. RESULTS: Identified were 45 benzodiazepine starters (27 women, mean age 76.4 years) and 169 controls (83 women, 74.3 years). Antiparkinsonian drug treatment increased faster in the benzodiazepine group; relative risk was 1.44 (95% confidence interval 0.80-2.59). CONCLUSION: This study has not found any statistically significant increase in antiparkinsonian drug treatment when a benzodiazepine was started in a small population of chronic levodopa users.