Clinical Presentation of Parvovirus B19 Infection in Adults Living with HIV/AIDS: A Case Series.

Parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection varies clinically depending on the host's immune status. Due to red blood cell precursors tropism, B19V can cause chronic anemia and transient aplastic crisis in patients with immunosuppression or chronic hemolysis. We report three rare cases of Brazilian adults living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with B19V infection. All cases presented severe anemia and required red blood cell transfusions. The first patient had low CD4+ counts and was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). As he remained poorly adherent to antiretroviral therapy (ART), B19V detection persisted. The second patient had sudden pancytopenia despite being on ART with an undetectable HIV viral load. He had historically low CD4+ counts, fully responded to IVIG, and had undiagnosed hereditary spherocytosis. The third individual was recently diagnosed with HIV and tuberculosis (TB). One month after ART initiation, he was hospitalized with anemia aggravation and cholestatic hepatitis. An analysis of his serum revealed B19V DNA and anti-B19V IgG, corroborating bone marrow findings and a persistent B19V infection. The symptoms resolved and B19V became undetectable. In all cases, real time PCR was essential for diagnosing B19V. Our findings showed that adherence to ART was crucial to B19V clearance in HIV-patients and highlighted the importance of the early recognition of B19V disease in unexplained cytopenias.

Epidemiological-clinical profile and mortality in patients coinfected with Trypanosoma cruzi/HIV: experience from a Brazilian reference center

ABSTRACT Background: The recent urbanization of Chagas disease (CD) has contributed to a greater risk of coexistence with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS. Methods: This retrospective observational study included patients who were followed at INI-Fiocruz between July 1986 and October 2021. All patients underwent an assessment protocol that included sociodemographic profile, epidemiological history, and clinical evaluation. Descriptive data analyses included reports of the medians and frequencies of variables of interest. Differences in medians between groups were tested using the Mann-Whitney U test. Differences in frequency were tested using Fisher's exact test. Results: Among 2201 patients, 11 (0.5%) were identified with Trypanosoma cruzi/HIV coinfection. Of these, 63.6% were women with a median age of 51.0 years old. Two patients had the indeterminate form of CD, six had the cardiac form, two had the digestive form and one had the cardio-digestive form. Half of the patients were undergoing antiretroviral treatment at the time of coinfection diagnosis with a median CD4+ count of 350 cells/μL and a viral load of 1500 copies/μL. Four patients underwent a xenodiagnosis test at coinfection diagnosis, which all yielded positive results; two of them presented high parasitemia under the risk of reactivation. Prophylaxis for CD reactivation was administered to four patients; two with ketoconazole and two with benznidazole. Six patients died after a median follow-up of 22.5 months, with AIDS being the most common cause of death. Only one case of reactivation was observed. Conclusions: Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of CD reactivation dramatically reduced mortality. Identification of Trypanosoma cruzi/HIV co-infection is crucial to planning a close follow-up of coinfected patients.

Prevalência e fatores associados ao aborto induzido no ingresso em uma coorte de mulheres vivendo com HIV/aids, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, 1996-2016 / Prevalencia y factores asociados al aborto inducido en el ingreso en una cohorte de mujeres que viven con VIH/SIDA, Río de Janeiro, Brasil, 1996-2016 / Prevalence of induced abortion and associated factors in a cohort of women living with HIV/AIDS, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1996-2016

O objetivo deste estudo é verificar a prevalência e os fatores associados ao aborto induzido no ingresso em uma coorte de mulheres vivendo com HIV/aids, no Município do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, no período 1996-2016. O critério de elegibilidade para o ingresso na coorte era ser do sexo feminino ao nascimento, ter mais de 18 anos de idade e ter infecção comprovada pelo HIV. Na visita inicial, dados sobre aspectos sexuais, reprodutivos, comportamentais e da infecção pelo HIV foram obtidos durante entrevista face a face com o médico assistente. Foi calculada a prevalência de aborto induzido na vida e verificados os fatores associados ao aborto induzido por meio de regressão logística múltipla, para o total de mulheres e entre aquelas com gestação prévia. Do total de mulheres, 30,4% referiram algum aborto induzido na vida, sendo este valor de 33,5% em mulheres com gestação prévia. A frequência de aborto induzido relatado apresentou queda significativa no período analisado (41,7% de 1996-2000 vs. 22,5% de 2011-2016, p < 0,001). Os fatores associados ao aborto induzido, tanto para o total de mulheres quanto para aquelas com gestação prévia, foram o aumento da idade, escolaridade mais elevada, número de parceiros sexuais na vida ≥ 5, gestação na adolescência, uso de qualquer droga ilícita na vida e período de ingresso na coorte após 2005. Mudanças no perfil socioeconômico, sexual, reprodutivo e da infecção pelo HIV são explicações possíveis para a redução da prática do aborto no período. Estudos que utilizem métodos de aferição direta do aborto devem ser conduzidos em outras populações, para confirmar a tendência de queda do aborto induzido no país e seus determinantes.

El objetivo de este estudio es verificar la prevalencia y los factores asociados al aborto inducido en el ingreso en una cohorte de mujeres, que viven con VIH/sida, en el municipio de Rio de Janeiro, durante el período 1996-2016. El criterio de elegibilidad para el ingreso en la cohorte era ser del sexo femenino al nacer, tener más de 18 años de edad y sufrir una infección comprobada por VIH. En la visita inicial, datos sobre aspectos sexuales, reproductivos, comportamentales y de infección por el VIH se obtuvieron durante la entrevista cara a cara con el médico asistente. Se calculó la prevalencia del aborto inducido en la vida y se verificaron los factores asociados al aborto inducido mediante regresión logística múltiple, para el total de mujeres y entre aquellas con gestación previa. Del total de mujeres, un 30,4% refería algún aborto inducido en la vida, siendo ese valor de un 33,5% en mujeres con gestación previa. La frecuencia de aborto inducido relatado presentó una caída significativa durante el período analizado (un 41,7% en el período 1996-2000 vs. 22,5% en el período 2011-2016, p < 0,001). Los factores asociados al aborto inducido, tanto para el total de mujeres, como para aquellas con gestación previa, fueron el aumento de la edad de la mujer, escolaridad más elevada, número de parejas sexuales en la vida ≥ 5, gestación en la adolescencia, consumo de cualquier droga ilícita en la vida y período de ingreso en la cohorte tras 2005. Cambios en el perfil socioeconómico, sexual, reproductivo y de infección por VIH son explicaciones posibles para la reducción de la realización de abortos durante el período. Se deben llevar a cabo estudios que utilicen métodos de medición directa del aborto en otras poblaciones para confirmar la tendencia de caída del aborto inducido en el país y sus determinantes.

The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence of induced abortion and associated factors at the time of inclusion in a cohort of women living with HIV/AIDS in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1996 to 2016. Eligibility criteria for inclusion in the cohort were female sex at birth, age 18 years and older, and confirmed HIV infection. At the baseline visit, data on sexual, reproductive, and behavioral aspects and HIV infection were obtained through a face-to-face interview with the attending physician. Lifetime prevalence of induced abortion was calculated, and factors associated with induced abortion were verified by multiple logistic regression for all the women and for those with previous pregnancy. In the entire cohort of women, 30.4% reported a history of induced abortion, compared to 33.5% in women with previous pregnancy. Frequency of reported induced abortion showed a significant reduction during the period (41.7% in 1996-2000 versus 22.5% in 2011-2016, p < 0.001). Factors associated with induced abortion, both for the entire cohort and for the women with previous pregnancy, were age, schooling, ≥ 5 lifetime sexual partners, teenage pregnancy, lifetime use of any illicit drug, and inclusion in the cohort after the year 2005. Changes in the socioeconomic, sexual, reproductive, and HIV infection profile are possible explanations for the reduction in abortions during the period. Studies that use direct methods to measure abortion should be conducted in other populations to confirm the downward trend in induced abortion and its determinants in Brazil.

Predictors of early menopause in HIV-infected women: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to investigate the age at natural menopause and its predictors in a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. STUDY DESIGN: HIV-infected women ≥30 years of age were included. Menopause was defined as having ≥1 year since the last menstrual period. Early age at natural menopause was defined as the onset of menopause at ≤45 years of age. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was applied. RESULTS: A total of 667 women were included, and the median age at baseline was 34.9 years (interquartile range, 30.9-40.5 years). In all, 507 (76%) women were premenopausal, and 160 (24%) reached menopause during the observational period; of these, 36 of 160 (27%) had early menopause. The median age at natural menopause was 48 years (interquartile range, 45-50 years). Menarche at <11 years of age (hazard ratio [HR], 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-3.37), cigarette smoking during the observational period (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.08-2.33), chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (HR, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.27-5.07), and CD4 count <50 cells/mm(3) (HR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.07-8.80) were significantly associated with an earlier age at natural menopause. The magnitudes of the effects of menarche at <11 years of age (HR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.23-5.94), cigarette smoking during the observational period (HR, 3.00; 95% CI, 1.39-6.45), chronic HCV infection (HR, 6.26; 95% CI, 2.12-18.52), and CD4 count <50 cells/mm(3) (HR, 6.64; 95% CI, 1.91-23.20) were much higher and significantly associated with early natural menopause. CONCLUSION: Early natural menopause was frequent among the HIV-infected women. In addition to menarche and cigarette smoking, which are menopausal factors among women in general, HIV-related immunodeficiency and chronic HCV were additional predictors for an earlier age at natural menopause. Adequate management of HIV in women is critical, as early onset of menopause has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality.