Cervical human papillomavirus infection and shedding of human immunodeficiency virus in cervicovaginal fluids: a cross-sectional study.

We evaluated the association between human papillomavirus cervical infection and HIV shedding in cervicovaginal lavage fluid (CVL), studying 89 HIV-infected women recruited at the Department of Infectious Diseases of Brescia (Italy). HIV shedding in CVL was found in a similar proportion of women with (30%; 21/70) and without (31.6%; 6/19) cervical human papillomavirus infection. A statistically significant correlation was found between HIV viral load in serum and CVL among the 27 women with detectable HIV in CVL (r = 0.4; P = 0.04). However, women on highly active antiretroviral therapy were more likely to have detectable HIV-RNA in CVL despite negative viremia (80% vs. 8%; P < 0.005).

Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection in migrant female sex workers in Italy.

We have assessed prevalence, incidence, and factors associated with increased risk for Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection among female migrant sex workers in Italy. In a prospective, observational study, women were offered free screening for sexually transmitted diseases and C. trachomatis was tested by a commercial ligase chain reaction assay in endocervical specimens. Of the 101 women tested, 14 (14%) were positive. The odds ratio (OR) for C. trachomatis infection was significantly higher for females under 24 years (OR=4.31), women from Eastern Europe (OR=4.80), and migrants less than 12 months in Italy (OR=4.41). In a multivariate logistic regression model, only origin from Eastern Europe remained independently associated to a higher risk for C. trachomatis infection (OR=6.05). This study provides evidence for high prevalence and incidence of C. trachomatis genital infection in migrant sex workers. Women from Eastern Europe have a significantly higher risk. These data reinforce the need for targeted control interventions.

Clinical presentation and survival of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients of a University General Hospital in a developing country

From January 1995 to August 1997 we evaluated prospectively the clinical presentation, laboratory findings and short-term survival of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients who sought care at our hospital. After providing informed, written consent, the patients were interviewed and laboratory tests were performed. Information about survivorship and death was collected through September 1998. Eighty-six smear-positive pulmonary TB patients were enrolled; 26.7 percent were HIV-seropositive. Seventeen HIV-seronegative pulmonary TB patients (19.8 percent) presented chronic diseases in addition to TB. In the multiple logistic regression analysis a CD4+ cell count <= 200 cell/mm was independently associated with HIV seropositivity. In the Cox regression model, fitted to all patients, HIV seropositivity and age > or = 50 years were independently associated with decreased survival. Among HIV-seronegative persons, the presence of an additional disease increased the risk of death of almost six-fold. Use of antiretroviral drugs was associated with a lower risk of death among HIV-seropositive smear-positive pulmonary TB patients (RH = 0.32, 95 percent CI 0.10-0.92). In our study smear-positive pulmonary TB patients had a low short-term survival rate that was strongly associated with HIV infection, age and co-morbidities. Therapy with antiretroviral drugs reduced the short-term risk of death among HIV-seropositive patients after TB diagnosis

Viragem da prova tuberculínica entre profissionais da área de saúde em um hospital universitário, referência para AIDS, no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil / Tuberculin skin test conversion among health care workers in an universitary hospital, reference for AIDS, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Introdução: existem escassos dados sobre o risco de infecção pelo mycobacterium tuberculosis entre profissionais de saúde (PS) em países em desenvolvimento. Estudo conduzido com o objetivo de para avaliar o risco ocupacional de infecção tuberculosa num hospital geral, no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Material e métodos: no período entre fevereiro de 1994 a setembro de 1994 foi realizado um inquérito da prova tuberculínica (PT) em um estudo transversal seguido de outro longitudial. Os PS responderam a um questionário padronizado e foram submetidos a duas etapas da PT. Resultados: entre 1250 PS que participaram da primeira fase do estudo, 649 (52%) apresentaram PT positiva (i.e. ³ 10mm), o fenômeno "booster" ocorreu em 7,8% (35/449) deles e esteve significativamente associados apenas ao relato de tuberculose prévia na família (OR: 3,29; 1,39-7,68, p= 0,004). Durante o período de estudo, 32 (8.7%) apresentaram conversão à prova tuberculínica entre os 368 PS seguidos pelo menos por 12 meses. Na regressão logística do estudo transversal apenas a idade superior a 30 anos (OR: 1,88; 1,35-3,47, p= 0,0001), a escolaridade inferior a 8 anos (OR: 1,44; 1,09 - 672, p= 0,02) e pertencer a categoria de enfermagem (OR: 1,55; 1,21 -4,78, p=0,01) permaneceram significativamente associados ao resultado positivo da PT. No estudo longitudinal, os PS com idade superior a 30 anos apresentaram menor risco de conversão à PT (RR: 0,37, 0,23-0,89, p=0,01) enquanto pertencer a categoria profissional de médico e enfermagem este risco foi significantemente maior (RR:4,21, 1,17-8,94, p= 0,03). Conclusões: estes resultados sugerem um elevado risco ocupacional de TB e sinaliza para uma urgente implementação de medidas de biossegurança em hospitais gerais que atendem pacientes com tuberculose.