Prevalence and predictors of malignancies in HIV patients: results of a retrospective multicentric Italian cohort.

We report the sharp reduction in the incidence of AIDS defining cancers in a multicentric, retrospective study carried out since 1991 and involving six Infectious Diseases Units spread across Italy. However, due to the parallel increase in non-AIDS defining cancers, cancer incidence was not reduced. Focusing on predictors of death in HIV-positive patients with neoplastic disease, multivariate models revealed that males as well as drug abusers were independently associated with a poor clinical outcome.

Use of quantitative ultrasound as bone mineral density evaluation in an Italian female population living with HIV: A real-life experience.

This is a multicenter cross-sectional study where we aimed to detect the rate of osteopenia/osteoporosis in an HIV female population (WLWHIV) by means of "heel quantitative ultrasound" (QUS) measurement. We enrolled 273 patients, mean age 48.1 years, 36% menopausal, 96% on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Calcaneal measure of bone mass index by QUS revealed osteopenia and osteoporosis in 76 (27.8%) and 16 (5.9%) WLWHIV. Our data underline the correlation between low QUS parameters and traditional risk factors for osteoporosis rather than with cART exposure, thus suggesting the crucial importance of detection and correction of traditional risk factors for osteoporosis in WLWHIV.

Prevalence and predictors of malignancies in a polycentric cohort of HIV patients from Italy.

INTRODUCTION: HIV infected patients have a higher risk of developing cancer than the general population. Kaposi's sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, primary CNS lymphoma and invasive cervical cancers are considered as AIDS defining [1]. An increased incidence in recent years has been reported also for other malignancies after the introduction of cART [2,3]. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective multicentric evaluation of all HIV infected patients with both AIDS and non-AIDS defining neoplasms at six Infectious Disease Units spread throughout Italy since 1991 through 2013. Cases were compared with equal number of controls without neoplasia followed at the same institutions, matched for length of HIV infection. RESULTS: Since 1991, 339 consecutive cases of malignancy were collected from the six convening centres, including approximately an equal proportion of AIDS (51.2%) and non-AIDS defining tumours. Mean prevalence of tumours among centres was 8.3% (r. 6.1%-9.6%). Mean age at tumour diagnosis was significantly lower than in controls (42.6±11.0 vs 46.8±10.6 years, respectively, p<0.0001). As to risk factors for HIV infection, approximately 1/4 (26.1%) of patients were drug abusers, in equal proportion as in controls. A remarkable higher proportion of cancer patients had CD4 T-cell counts <200 c/mmc at time of diagnosis (45.2% vs 13.3%, p<0.0001). Seventy percent of tumours occurred in males; 52.8% of tumour patients were diagnosed with AIDS before and 19.0% at the time of tumour diagnosis. Ninety (28.1%) tumour patients were dead at the time of data collection, a much higher proportion than among cases (12.9%, p<0.0001). Deaths among non-AIDS (20.8%) and AIDS defining tumour patients (35.0%) were significantly different (p=0.005). Predictors of AIDS defining tumours at the time of data collection were: male sex (57.9% vs 40.6%, p=0.004), CD4 T-cell counts <200 c/mmc (63.6% vs 44.1%, p<0.0001), whereas being cART treated at the time of tumour diagnosis was protective (38.0% vs 68.0%, p<0.0001). In the final multivariate model of logistic regression, male sex (OR=2.0, p=0.03) and not being cART treated (OR=2.5, p=0.001) held as independent predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Our retrospection revealed a considerably high proportion of non-AIDS defining tumours, apparently at rise in recent years. We registered high prevalence of tumours in each centre. Absence of cART seemed related with AIDS defining tumours: once more prevention of late presentation appeared the way to avoid worse prognosis in this setting.