Costs and acceptability of simplified monitoring in HIV-suppressed patients switching to dual therapy: the SIMPL'HIV open-label, factorial randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Clinical and laboratory monitoring of patients on antiretroviral therapy is an integral part of HIV care and determines whether treatment needs enhanced adherence or modification of the drug regimen. However, different monitoring and treatment strategies carry different costs and health consequences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The SIMPL'HIV study was a randomised trial that assessed the non-inferiority of dual maintenance therapy. The co-primary outcome was a comparison of costs over 48 weeks of dual therapy with standard antiretroviral therapy and the costs associated with a simplified HIV care approach (patient-centred monitoring [PCM]) versus standard, tri-monthly routine monitoring. Costs included outpatient medical consultations (HIV/non-HIV consultations), non-medical consultations, antiretroviral therapy, laboratory tests and hospitalisation costs. PCM participants had restricted immunological and blood safety monitoring at weeks 0 and 48, and they were offered the choice to complete their remaining study visits via a telephone call, have medications delivered to a specified address, and to have blood tests performed at a location of their choice. We analysed the costs of both strategies using invoices for medical consultations issued by the hospital where the patient was followed, as well as those obtained from health insurance companies. Secondary outcomes included differences between monitoring arms for renal function, lipids and glucose values, and weight over 48 weeks. Patient satisfaction with treatment and monitoring was also assessed using visual analogue scales. RESULTS: Of 93 participants randomised to dolutegravir plus emtricitabine and 94 individuals to combination antiretroviral therapy (median nadir CD4 count, 246 cells/mm3; median age, 48 years; female, 17%),patient-centred monitoring generated no substantial reductions or increases in total costs (US$ -421 per year [95% CI -2292 to 1451]; p = 0.658). However, dual therapy was significantly less expensive (US$ -2620.4 [95% CI -2864.3 to -2331.4]) compared to standard triple-drug antiretroviral therapy costs. Approximately 50% of participants selected one monitoring option, one-third chose two, and a few opted for three. The preferred option was telephone calls, followed by drug delivery. The number of additional visits outside the study schedule did not differ by type of monitoring. Patient satisfaction related to treatment and monitoring was high at baseline, with no significant increase at week 48. CONCLUSIONS: Patient-centred monitoring did not reduce costs compared to standard monitoring in individuals switching to dual therapy or those continuing combined antiretroviral therapy. In this representative sample of patients with suppressed HIV, antiretroviral therapy was the primary factor driving costs, which may be reduced by using generic drugs to mitigate the high cost of lifelong HIV treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03160105.

Trichobiolight: A new, effective protocol in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and telogen effluvium.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) with its precursor miniaturization of anagen phase (MA) and telogen effluvium (TE) represent nonscarring hair loss diseases which causes moderate to severe aesthetic and psychologic discomfort in affected people. Several therapeutic approaches have been tested through the latest decades, with different degree of success. In this study we aim to analyze the efficacy and outcome of an innovative therapeutic protocol, named TRICHOBIOLIGHT, a combination of active principles conveyed by mesotherapy directly on the scalp with a subsequent photobiostimulation session with LED light (630 nm). About 107 patients (49 women, 58 men, mean age 45-year-old) with clinical and trichoscopic diagnosis of MA, AGA, and TE have been enrolled at Skin Center of L'Aquila, Avezzano and Pescara (Italy) and subsequently treated with the TRICHOBIOLIGHT protocol. 4 patients dropped out at the beginning of the study: 2 patients because of an histological diagnosis of scarring alopecia and lichen scleroatrophicus, and 2 patients dropped out because of adverse reaction to the treatment. Excellent to good outcome have been reached in the 82.5% of patients (85/103), 9 patients (8.7%) reached a sufficient result while 7 patients (6.8%) partially respond to the treatment. Two patients (2%) did not respond at all. TRICHOBIOLIGHT is a promising protocol, working through the combined action of the active principles and the photobiostimulation, that lead to a strengthening and thickening of the residual hair, giving an optical thickening effect that provides high quality aesthetic results and, consequently, appreciable psychological results.

Efficacy and safety of dolutegravir plus emtricitabine versus standard ART for the maintenance of HIV-1 suppression: 48-week results of the factorial, randomized, non-inferiority SIMPL'HIV trial.

BACKGROUND: Dolutegravir (DTG)-based dual therapy is becoming a new paradigm for both the initiation and maintenance of HIV treatment. The SIMPL'HIV study investigated the outcomes of virologically suppressed patients on standard combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) switching to DTG + emtricitabine (FTC). We present the 48-week efficacy and safety data on DTG + FTC versus cART. METHODS AND FINDINGS: SIMPL'HIV was a multicenter, open-label, non-inferiority randomized trial with a factorial design among treatment-experienced people with HIV in Switzerland. Participants were enrolled between 12 May 2017 and 30 May 2018. Patients virologically suppressed for at least 24 weeks on standard cART were randomized 1:1 to switching to DTG + FTC or to continuing cART, and 1:1 to simplified patient-centered monitoring versus standard monitoring. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients virologically suppressed with <100 copies/ml through 48 weeks. The secondary endpoints included virological suppression at 48 weeks according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) snapshot analysis. Non-inferiority of DTG + FTC versus cART for viral suppression was assessed using a stratified Mantel-Haenszel risk difference, with non-inferiority declared if the lower bound of the 95% confidence interval was greater than -12%. Adverse events were monitored to assess safety. Quality of life was evaluated using the PROQOL-HIV questionnaire. Ninety-three participants were randomized to DTG + FTC, and 94 individuals to cART. Median nadir CD4 count was 246 cells/mm3; median age was 48 years; 17% of participants were female. DTG + FTC was non-inferior to cART. The proportion of patients with viral suppression (<100 copies/ml) through 48 weeks was 93.5% in the DTG + FTC arm and 94.7% in the cART arm in the intention-to-treat population (risk difference -1.2%; 95% CI -7.8% to 5.6%). Per-protocol analysis showed similar results, with viral suppression in 96.5% of patients in both arms (risk difference 0.0%; 95% CI -5.6% to 5.5%). There was no relevant interaction between the type of treatment and monitoring (interaction ratio 0.98; 95% CI 0.85 to 1.13; p = 0.81). Using the FDA snapshot algorithm, 84/93 (90.3%) participants in the DTG + FTC arm had an HIV-1 RNA viral load of <50 copies/ml compared to 86/94 (91.5%) participants on standard cART (risk difference -1.1%; 95% CI -9.3% to 7.1%; p = 0.791). The overall proportion of patients with adverse events and discontinuations did not differ by randomization arm. The proportion of patients with serious adverse events was higher in the cART arm (16%) compared to the DTG + FTC arm (6.5%) (p = 0.041), but none was considered to be related to the study medication. Quality of life improved more between baseline and week 48 in the DTG + FTC compared to the cART arm (adjusted difference +2.6; 95% CI +0.4 to +4.7). The study's main limitations included a rather small proportion of women included, the open label design, and its short duration. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, DTG + FTC as maintenance therapy was non-inferior to cART in terms of efficacy, with a similar safety profile and a greater improvement in quality of life, thus expanding the offer of 2-drug simplification options among virologically suppressed individuals. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03160105.

Septic shock caused by Capnocytophaga canis after a cat scratch.

Capnocytophaga canis is an uncommon cause of septic shock. Only three cases have been previously reported in the literature. In this article, we describe the case of a 70-year-old male admitted to the intensive care unit for septic shock of unknown origin. On day 2, one anaerobic bottle out of the two sets taken at admission turned positive with Gram-negative bacilli. The pathogen was identified by 16S rRNA gene as C. canis. The strain was characterized and compared with other clinical isolates of Capnocytophaga spp.

Virologic failure and HIV drug resistance on simplified, dolutegravir-based maintenance therapy: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Dolutegravir-containing maintenance therapy is a promising simplification strategy for virologically suppressed HIV-infected individuals. However, most of the available data to inform this strategy come from small, uncontrolled studies. We estimated the proportion of HIV-infected patients experiencing virological failure (VF) and developing drug resistance on dolutegravir (DTG)-based maintenance therapy. Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, and conference abstracts for studies assessing VF on DTG-based maintenance therapy. Studies including ≥5 adults with an undetectable viral load on antiretroviral therapy (ART) who switched to a DTG-based mono- or dual therapy were included. Pooled proportions of VF were estimated using random-intercept logistic meta-regression and acquired drug resistance mutations described for each strategy. Results: Of 1719 studies considered, 21 met our selection criteria, including seven interventional and 14 observational studies. Eight studies including 251 patients assessed VF on DTG monotherapy and fourteen studies including 1670 participants VF on dual therapy. The participant's median age ranged from 43 to 63 years, their median nadir CD4 count from 90 to 399 cells/µl, and 27.6% were female. The proportion of participants experiencing VF on DTG-monotherapy was 3.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-6.7) at 24 weeks and 8.9% (95% CI 4.7-16.2) at 48 weeks. Resistance mutations developed in seven (3.6%) participants on DTG-monotherapy. Among patients on dual therapy, ten (0.7%, 95% CI 0.4-1.3) experienced VF by 48 weeks and none developed resistance to DTG. In adjusted analyses, VF at 24 weeks was less likely on dual therapy than on monotherapy (adjusted odds ratio: 0.10, 95% CI 0.03-0.30). Conclusions: Whereas VF is relatively common on DTG maintenance monotherapy, DTG-based dual therapy appears to be a promising simplification strategy for individuals with a suppressed HIV viral load on triple-ART.

[Clostridia: toxin masters. Botulism: from botox to sausages?]. / Clostridia: maîtres en toxines. Le botulisme: du botox au saucisson?

Clostridia are ubiquitous Gram-positive bacteria whose toxins are responsible for serious diseases. In this article we report a case of foodborne botulism we have recently managed. Moreover, we briefly describe the major clinical syndromes caused by different species of Clostridium (except for C. difficile infections, as this subject has been previously extensively reviewed in this journal). Botulism causes a flaccid paralysis starting with cranial nerves. Administration of botulism anti-toxin should be rapidly considered as soon as botulism is suspected, as prognosis is largely dependent on timely treatment; alerting the public health authorities is equally important. In Switzerland botulinum antitoxin can be obtained from the pharmacy of the Swiss Army.

High prevalence of isolates with reduced glycopeptide susceptibility in persistent or recurrent bloodstream infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clinical isolates is considered a risk factor for failure of glycopeptide therapy. We compared the prevalences of MRSA isolates with reduced glycopeptide susceptibility in patients with versus without persistent or recurrent MRSA bloodstream infections. A retrospective cohort study at the University Hospital of Geneva identified 27 patients with persistent or recurrent clonally related MRSA bacteremic episodes over an 8-year period, which included 208 consecutive nosocomial MRSA bacteremic episodes. Vancomycin and teicoplanin MICs were determined by a modified macrodilution assay allowing improved detection of glycopeptide-intermediate MRSA isolates (GISA), characterized by elevated teicoplanin or/and vancomycin MICs (≥ 4 µg/ml). For 16 patients (59%), their pretherapy and/or posttherapy MRSA isolates showed elevated teicoplanin MICs, among which 10 (37%) concomitantly displayed elevated vancomycin MICs. In contrast, 11 other patients (41%) were persistently or recurrently infected with non-GISA isolates. In comparison, only 39 (22%) of 181 single isolates from patients with no microbiological evidence of persistent or recurrent infections showed elevated teicoplanin MICs, among which 14 (8%) concomitantly displayed elevated vancomycin MICs. Clinical, microbiological, and pharmacokinetic variables for patients persistently or recurrently infected with GISA or non-GISA isolates were similar. Bacteremic patients with a poor response to glycopeptide therapy had a 2.8-fold- and 4.8-fold-higher rates of MRSA isolates displaying elevated teicoplanin and vancomycin MICs, respectively, than patients with single isolates (P < 0.0001). Detection of elevated teicoplanin MICs may help to predict a poor response to glycopeptide therapy in MRSA bacteremic patients.