Visceral leishmaniosis in HIV-positive patients: primary infection, reactivation and latent infection. Impact of the CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts.

OBJECTIVE: To discriminate cases of visceral leishmaniosis (VL) following a primary infection from cases originating in a reactivation of a latent Leishmania infection and to assess the impact of CD4+ T-cell counts on the occurrence of VL in patients with HIV disease. METHODS: We searched by Western blotting for the presence of Leishmania infantum-specific antibodies in the sera of 236 HIV-positive patients. We performed a follow-up of antileishmanial serology and analysed the evolution of the CD4+ T-cell counts for 14 HIV-positive VL patients and for 18 HIV-positive Leishmania-seropositive patients without VL. RESULTS: This study (1) showed that the VL disease/Leishmania infection ratio in HIV-positive individuals is high (1 : 10); (2) discriminated between a primary Leishmania infection (five patients who converted from Leishmania-seronegative to Leishmania-seropositive) and a reactivation of a latent infection (seven patients); (3) showed that HIV-positive individuals with dramatically low CD4+ T-cell counts maintained or generated a specific antileishmanial antibody production; (4) demonstrated that the primary-VL appeared at significantly higher (P = 0.028) CD4+ T-cell levels than the reactivation-VL; (5) documented the existence of HIV-positive Leishmania-seropositive individuals who despite a severe and prolonged immunosuppression did not develop VL (eight of 18). CONCLUSION: Our data stress the utility of the follow-up by Western blotting for an early diagnosis of VL, and therefore an early treatment, for HIV-positive patients living in endemic areas. They suggest that in a latent Leishmania infection supplementary control mechanism(s) might operate in addition to the T-cell-mediated response, and provide a further example of non-appearance of an opportunistic infection despite a severe reduction in CD4+ T cells.

[Risk reduction and intravenous drug use abstinence in patients with HIV infection. The SEROCO group]. / Réduction des risques et arrêt de la prise de drogues intraveineuses chez des sujets infectés par le VIH. Groupe SEROCO.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the complex stepwise process of giving up intravenous (i.v.) drugs. However, HIV risk reduction programs directed towards i.v. drug users have been accused by some opponents to encourage users to continue. In order to better assess the relationships between risk reduction and abstinence, we studied factors associated with abstinence in HIV-infected patients using i.v. drugs at enrollment in the SEROCO cohort (1988-1994). METHODS: 63 HIV-infected patients injecting i.v. drugs at enrollment were followed-up every 6 months with a clinical examination and a questionnaire concerning sexual and drugs practices since last consultation. Abstinence was defined as non injecting for at least 6 months. The 30 patients who became abstinent during a follow-up period of 3 years were compared to the 33 remaining. RESULTS: Abstinence during follow-up was not related to age at inclusion, duration of i.v. drug use, gender or marital status. However, patients who became abstinent were more likely to have a professional activity at inclusion than the remaining (70% vs 42%, p = 0.03). Before knowledge of HIV infection, frequency of injections, needle sharing and use of condoms did not differ between the 2 groups. During follow-up, behavioural changes occurred in the two groups, but were more marked in those who lately became abstinent. These latter were more likely to always inject with new needles/syringes (57% vs 18%, p = 0.003), and to use condoms with HIV-negative partners or of unknown status (73% vs 39%, p = 0.06). Professional activity and systematic use of new needles/syringes remained independently associated with abstinence in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: In this cohort, abstinence appeared as a stepwise process in which risk reduction preceded abstinence. This confirms that risk reduction programs do not work against those messages aimed at stopping i.v. drug use. Since this analysis selected particular subjects, enrolled in a cohort of HIV-infected patients, results should be confirmed in other samples of i.v. drugs users.

PIP: Few prospective studies have described the stepwise process of giving up intravenous drug (IV) use. In an effort to deepen the understanding of the relationship between risk reduction related to IV drug use and giving up such drug use, the authors studied factors associated with IV drug abstinence among HIV-infected patients using IV drugs at their enrollment in the multicenter French cohort SEROCO between 1988 and 1994. 63 HIV-infected patients injecting IV drugs at enrollment were followed clinically every 6 months and with a questionnaire on their sexual practices and drug use since their most recent consultations. The termination of drug use was defined as not using drugs for a period of at least 6 months. The 30 subjects who gave up IV drug use over the 3-year follow-up were compared to the 33 subjects who continued using IV drugs. Those who gave up IV drugs were more likely to be professionally active at enrollment than those who kept injecting, they more often used during the follow-up period new injection materials for each injection, and more often used condoms with HIV-negative partners and those of unknown serostatus. The abandonment of IV drug use in this study followed a stepwise process in which the reduction of risks preceded the eventual cessation of drug use.

Role of fibrates and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in gallstone formation: epidemiological study in an unselected population.

Fibrate derivatives and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors modify homeostasis of cholesterol. The aim of this study was to assess in an unselected population whether these hypolipidemic drugs are risk factors for cholelithiasis or, conversely, are protective agents. Both sexes, all socioeconomic categories, pregnant women, and cholecystectomized subjects were included. Clinical data collection and gallbladder ultrasonography were both carried out in a double-blind fashion. Fibrate derivatives were predominantly fenofibrate, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors were simvastatin and pravastatin. On univariate analysis, age (>50 years), sex, and use of fibrates were found to be significantly related to the presence of cholelithiasis. Age, sex, and fibrate treatment remained independently correlated with the presence of gallstones on multivariate analysis. With fibrates, the relative risk for lithiasis was 1.7 (P = 0.04). The HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors were not associated with a protective effect on univariate analysis. Of the lipid-lowering drugs, only fibrate derivatives were found to increase the risk of gallstone formation.

Prevalence of cholelithiasis: results of an epidemiologic investigation in Vidauban, southeast France. General Practitioner's Group of Vidauban.

Cholelithiasis leads to 80,000 cholecystectomies being performed every year in France, but its prevalence is still unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors of cholelithiasis in a random population of 1027 women and 727 men over the age of 30 in a small town in the southeast of France. Detailed clinical history, dietary investigation, and gallbladder ultrasound were collected for each subject and assessed by univariate analysis. A regression model was used in the multivariate analysis to detect the relative risk of cholelithiasis. Cholelithiasis was found in 130 individuals (global prevalence 13.9%). The relative risk for lithiasis was higher in women compared to men (1.89). Age (P<0.0001) and body mass index (BMI) >25 (P = 0.013) were also significant risk factors. Neither pregnancy nor oral contraceptive use proved to be risk factors. Typical biliary colic pain was the only symptom significantly associated with cholelithiasis (P<0.0001). These results show that the prevalence of gallstones in France is similar to that in Denmark and Italy.

Cholelithiasis and dietary risk factors: an epidemiologic investigation in Vidauban, Southeast France. General Practitioner's Group of Vidauban.

Dietary risk factors have been implicated in the development of cholelithiasis. The aim of this study was to determine in a homogeneous French population whether a particular type of diet may be lithogenic. Seventy-six subjects over 30 years of age (26 men, 50 women) with cholelithiasis detected by ultrasound were selected from a population sample of 830 subjects by drawing lots using the polling list. These were matched by 76 control subjects without cholelithiasis randomly selected from the same population. Univariate analysis was significant for a high calorie diet >2500 kcal/day (OR = 3.62, P = 0.0065), a diet rich in carbohydrates with a consumption > or = 55 g/day (OR = 2.98, P = 0.0067), and a diet rich in total lipids (OR = 4.97, P = 0.023) or saturated fatty acids (OR = 3.06, P = 0.0146). An alcohol consumption equivalent to 20-40 g/day was protective (P = 0.018). Multivariate analysis confirmed these results. Our study suggests that a change in dietary habits by limiting excess calories, saturated fats and carbohydrates could reduce the incidence of cholelithiasis.