Listeria monocytogenes osteomyelitis.

Listeria monocytogenes is usually an opportunistic pathogen causing either meningitis or bacteremia in adults. Focal infection outside the central nervous system occurs infrequently. We describe two cases of osteomyelitis caused by L monocytogenes. Certain characteristics of L monocytogenes may make cure difficult, particularly in a deep-seated focus such as bone, and may warrant special consideration when planning therapy.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

Pneumocystis carinii has taken on new importance with the emergence of the human immunodeficiency virus. It is the most common life-threatening opportunistic infection in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and eventually develops in 80% or more of those not receiving primary prophylaxis. This review focuses on the clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prophylaxis of P carinii pneumonia in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

HIV infection in a high prevalence hemodialysis unit.

The number of intravenous drugs users (IVDUs) developing end-stage renal disease at our institution increased 400% between 1981 and 1987. During this period the total number of IVDUs in our catchment area remained stable and referral patterns to our hospital were unchanged. A serologic, clinical and risk-factor survey for HIV infection was conducted in our maintenance hemodialysis unit with the objective of evaluating the interrelationship between HIV infection and the increasing incidence of renal failure in IVDUs. The risk of nosocomial transmission of HIV in a hemodialysis unit with an expected high prevalence of infection was also investigated. The effect of HIV seropositivity on the clinical course of patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis was evaluated prospectively. Twenty-seven (39%) out of 70 maintenance hemodialysis patients tested were seropositive for HIV. Twenty-three (88%) out of 26 IVDUs receiving dialysis were seropositive for HIV. Despite marked CD4 cell depletion (mean CD4 cell count 225), none of the seropositive patients had AIDS when first evaluated and only one developed AIDS during 12 months of follow-up. None of the dialysis staff members or dialysis patients without HIV risk factors was seropositive for HIV. IVDUs who develop end-stage renal disease appear to have a high rate of infection with HIV. We can expect that the number of HIV-infected dialysis patients will continue to increase. Fortunately, even in a high prevalence hemodialysis unit, the risk of nosocomial transmission of HIV appears to be low.

HIV prevalence, immunosuppression, and drug resistance in patients with tuberculosis in an area endemic for AIDS.

From October 1987 to June 1988, we attempted to determine the prevalence of HIV infection among patients hospitalized with tuberculosis and the extent of immunosuppression among those tuberculosis patients infected with HIV. Of 178 consecutive patients, 18-65 years of age, who were hospitalized with newly diagnosed, previously untreated tuberculosis, 46% (82 out of 178) had clinical or serological evidence of HIV infection, 30% (54 out of 178) were HIV-seronegative, and 24% (42 out of 178) could not be assessed for the presence of HIV infection. Among the HIV-seropositive patients without an AIDS-defining diagnosis by non-tuberculous criteria, the median CD4 lymphocyte (CD4) count was 133 x 10(6) cells/l (range: 11-677 x 10(6]; among the HIV-seronegative patients, the median CD4 count was 613 x 10(6) cells/l (range: 238-1614 x 10(6); P less than 0.001). Among the HIV-seropositive patients, those with disseminated tuberculosis (median CD4 = 79 x 10(6) cells/l) and those with pulmonary tuberculosis who had radiographic evidence of mediastinal or hilar adenopathy (median CD4 = 45 x 10(6) cells/l) had the most severe CD4 depletion, whereas those with localized extrapulmonary tuberculosis (median CD4 = 242 x 10(6) cells/l) and those with pulmonary tuberculosis without adenopathy (median CD4 = 299 x 10(6) cells/l) were less severely immunosuppressed. Of the 178 patients, 6% (11 out of 178) were infected with strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to both isoniazid and rifampin.

Susceptibility to levofloxacin of Myocobacterium tuberculosis isolates from patients with HIV-related tuberculosis and characterization of a strain with levofloxacin monoresistance. Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS 019 and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group 222 Protocol Team.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the susceptibility to levofloxacin of clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) obtained from patients with HIV-related tuberculosis and to characterize the molecular genetics of levofloxacin resistance. DESIGN AND METHODS: Isolates from culture-positive patients in a United States multicenter trial of HIV-related TB were tested for susceptibility to levofloxacin by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determinations in Bactec 7H12 broth. Automated sequencing of the resistance determining region of gyrA was performed. RESULTS: Of the 135 baseline MTB isolates tested, 134 (99%; 95% exact binomial confidence interval, 95.9-99.9%) were susceptible to levofloxacin with an MIC < or = 1.0 microg/ml. We identified a previously unrecognized mis-sense mutation occurring at codon 88 of gyrA in a levofloxacin mono-resistant MTB isolate obtained from a patient with AIDS who had received ofloxacin for 8 months prior to the diagnosis of tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical MTB isolates from HIV-infected patients were generally susceptible to levofloxacin. However, the identification of a clinical isolate with mono-resistance to levofloxacin highlights the need for circumspection in the use of fluoroquinolones in the setting of potential HIV-related tuberculosis and for monitoring of rates of resistance of MTB isolates to fluoroquinolones.

The association of smoking and risk of condyloma acuminatum in women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between cigarette smoking and the incidence of genital warts in a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women (without AIDS-defining conditions) (n = 148) and in HIV-negative women (n = 428). METHODS: Women were recruited between March 1990 and December 1993 from an urban, inner-city medical center and nearby community health centers. Woman initially free of genital warts (n = 576) were followed prospectively for up to 37 months, with an average of 14 months. RESULTS: The observed incidence of genital warts per 100 person-years was almost three times higher in smokers than in non-smokers, both in HIV-positive (13.3 versus 5.0, respectively) and HIV-negative women (1.5 versus 0.5, respectively). In a Poisson regression model adjusting for variables significantly related to genital warts, including sexual activity, current smokers were 5.2 times (95% confidence interval 1.02, 26.0) more likely to develop genital warts. The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) by polymerase chain reaction at baseline examination and the incidence of other sexually transmitted diseases were similar is smokers and non-smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are compatible with the hypothesis that the rate of progression of symptomatic exophytic HPV disease is increased in smokers.

Predictors for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among HIV-infected patients and response to specific drug regimens. Terry Beirn Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS (CPCRA) and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), National Institutes for Health.

SETTING: Mortality associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) related multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is reduced with effective early therapy. Identifying predictors of, and effective regimens for, MDR-TB is critical. OBJECTIVE: A multicenter prospective study was initiated to 1) determine the demographic, behavioral, clinical and geographic risk factors associated with the occurrence of MDR-TB among HIV-infected patients, and 2) to evaluate the overall survival and clinical response of MDR-TB patients treated with specific drug regimens. METHODS: Patients were prospectively evaluated for MDR-TB. Information included history of prior treatment for tuberculosis, close contact with a known case of MDR-TB, and residence in a facility with known or suspected MDR-TB transmission. Patients with known MDR-TB, or those suspected to be at high risk, were offered enrollment in a treatment pilot study. Study drugs included levofloxacin and at least two additional drugs to which the patient's isolate was known, or most likely, to be susceptible. Survival was the primary endpoint. RESULTS: Complete data are available for 156 HIV-infected patients with confirmed tuberculosis. Sixteen (10%) had MDR-TB. Only a history of prior tuberculosis treatment was associated with MDR-TB in multivariate analysis (OR = 4.4, P < 0.02). Twelve patients with MDR-TB enrolled in the treatment pilot had a median CD4 cell count of 51/mm3. The cumulative probability of survival at one year was 75% (95% CI 50.5-99.5) and at 18 months, 65.6% (95% CI 38.1-93.1). Toxicity requiring discontinuation of medications occurred in two patients. CONCLUSIONS: A history of treatment for tuberculosis was the only predictor for MDR-TB in a cohort of HIV-infected patients with tuberculosis. In addition, this prospective study supports the results of prior retrospective studies that effective treatment impacts on mortality. Current second-line treatment, including high dose levofloxacin, appears to be reasonably well tolerated.

A city-wide outbreak of a multiple-drug-resistant strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in New York.

SETTING: Incident patients with active tuberculosis (TB) resistant to two or more drugs in New York City hospitals in 1992. OBJECTIVE: To examine the New York-wide distribution of Public Health Research Institute (PHRI) strain W of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an extremely drug-resistant strain identified by a 17-band Southern hybridization pattern using IS6110, during the peak tuberculosis year of 1992. We also compared strain W with other strains frequently observed in New York. DESIGN: Blinded retrospective study of stored M. tuberculosis cultures by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) DNA fingerprinting, and chart review. RESULTS: We found 112 cultures with the strain W fingerprint and 8 variants in 21 hospitals among incident patients hospitalized in 1992. Almost all isolates were resistant to four first-line drugs and kanamycin. This single strain made up at least 22% of New York City multiple-drug-resistant (MDR) TB in 1992, far more than any other strain. Almost all W-strain cases were acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. The cluster is the most drug-resistant cluster identified in New York and the largest IS6110 fingerprint cluster identified anywhere to date. CONCLUSION: Because recommended four-drug therapy will not sterilise this very resistant strain, there was a city-wide nosocomial outbreak of W-strain TB in the early 1990s among New York AIDS patients. Other frequently seen strains were either also very resistant, or, surprisingly, pansusceptible. Individual MDR strains can be spread widely in situations where AIDS and TB are both common.

In vitro susceptibilities of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Chlamydia sp. strain TWAR).

The in vitro susceptibilities of two clinical isolates of Chlamydia pneumoniae from Brooklyn, N.Y., were determined for tetracycline, erythromycin, sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and three new macrolides--azithromycin, clarithromycin, and roxithromycin. Clarithromycin was the most active drug tested, followed by the other macrolides, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin.

HIV infection, genital ulcer disease, and crack cocaine use among patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases.

BACKGROUND: Recently there has been a rise in genital ulcer disease (GUD) in urban minority heterosexuals in the United States. The impact of these increased GUD rates on HIV transmission patterns in this population is unknown. METHODS: Sexually transmitted disease (STD) diagnoses were correlated with HIV antibody status and risk factor history in 194 patients who consented to HIV testing at an STD clinic in central Brooklyn. RESULTS: Of 36 HIV-positive patients, 23 (64%) denied HIV risk factors other than heterosexual contact with persons of unknown HIV status. HIV antibody was associated with GUD (odds radio [OR] = 2.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20-6.24), multiple concurrent STDs (OR = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.08-5.81), and a history of crack cocaine use (OR = 2.98, 95% CI = inexact-9.61). Crack use was also associated with GUD (OR = 15.15, 95% CI = 3.27-inexact) and multiple simultaneous STDs (OR = 13.87, 95% CI = 4.62-inexact). In a log-linear model analysis, HIV infection was independently associated with GUD and crack use. HIV infection, genital ulcer disease, and crack cocaine use were more common in women than men. CONCLUSIONS: The association between HIV infection and GUD seen here may be secondary to high-risk sexual behavior, which in turn may be partially attributable to crack cocaine use and drug-related prostitution. The high rate of coinfection with HIV and GUD raises a concern about the increased efficiency of sexual transmission of HIV in this population.

Health-related quality of life of HIV-infected women: evidence for the reliability, validity and responsiveness of the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 20.

The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability, validity and responsiveness of a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instrument, the Medical Outcomes Short-Form 20-Item General Health Survey (MOS SF-20), in a sample of women with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Longitudinal data were collected on 202 HIV-infected women without AIDS who were receiving care at Kings County Hospital or SUNY Health Sciences Center, Brooklyn, New York. Internal consistency results showed acceptable reliability for the four multi-item MOS scales (role function, physical function, general health perceptions and mental health). Symptomatic patients and patients with lower Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ratings reported lower HRQOL than those who were asymptomatic or who had higher KPS scores. Patients who were older, unemployed or who had a history of injection drug use (IDU) also reported lower HRQOL than those who were younger, employed or who had no drug use history. Adjusted mean scores on the MOS role and physical functioning scales proved sensitive to differences in clinical status over time. The MOS SF-20 is a reliable and valid instrument of HRQOL for women with HIV infection. Its sensitivity to differences in clinical status over time suggest that it may be useful as an HRQOL indicator for HIV/AIDS clinical trials.

Incidence of venereal warts in human immunodeficiency virus-infected and uninfected women.

A cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected (n = 253) and uninfected (n = 658) women was prospectively studied to assess the relationship between venereal warts and HIV status, adjusting for self-reported and biologic measures of sexual risk behavior. Participants were assessed every 6 months for venereal warts and other sexually transmitted diseases, self-reported sexual behavior, and CD4 cell counts. The incidence of venereal warts was significantly increased in HIV-infected women (8.2 vs. 0.8/100 person-years of follow-up). This difference remained after adjusting for measures of high-risk sexual behavior and was observed in women at all levels of immune function, including those with > or = 500/mm3 CD4 cells. The increased risk of venereal warts in HIV infection can occur relatively early in HIV disease and appears chiefly attributable to a higher risk of progression from subclinical to clinical human papillomavirus (HPV) disease rather than to a higher risk of HPV acquisition.

Isolation of Chlamydia pneumoniae from the lungs of patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

Chlamydia pneumoniae is being recognized as a common cause of respiratory tract infections. Bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients were examined by culture for this pathogen. Of 50 specimens examined, 5 (10%) were positive for C. pneumoniae. Four of these (80%) were also positive for other pathogens frequently implicated as causes of respiratory disease in this patient population. C. pneumoniae may frequently inhabit the respiratory tracts of human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals.

Infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae in Brooklyn.

Of 91 children and adults with lower respiratory tract infection, 17 (18.7%) had evidence of infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae. Infection was more common in older adolescents and adults than in children. Only 3 of 8 culture-positive patients with paired sera had serologic evidence of acute infection. Two patients were culture positive over a 12-month period. Two other culture-positive patients had evidence of coinfection with other bacterial respiratory tract pathogens, which in these cases appeared to be responsible for the acute episode of pneumonia. Patterns of infection ranged from acute pneumonia to apparent chronic asymptomatic carriage, and there was no characteristic clinical presentation. Studies using cultures in other populations, including asymptomatic individuals, are needed for a better understanding of the epidemiology and clinical relevance of this organism.

High seroprevalence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus in a Brooklyn maintenance hemodialysis unit: preliminary observations.

A preliminary study of 86 patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis in an urban unit serving a large number of intravenous drug addicts revealed that the HIV seroprevalence rate was 27% (27 of 70 screened). Twenty-three of 26 (89%) positive patients were intravenous addicts, and the remaining four included Haitian immigrants and gay men. There were no false positive ELISA reactions against HIV. No patient without a risk factor for HIV was seropositive, indicating an absence of nosocomial spread within a dialysis unit.

Identification of mycoplasmas in urine from persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

Voided urine samples from persons with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were examined for mycoplasmas. Mycoplasma hominis organisms were identified in cultures of urine from 32 (18%) of 180 HIV-positive individuals and from 8 (21%) of 38 HIV-negative individuals. In contrast, glucose-utilizing mycoplasmas were identified in the urine of 30 (17%) of the HIV-positive individuals and in none of those who were HIV-negative. Assays of growth inhibition around disks containing specific antisera identified 14 of the 30 glucose-utilizing mycoplasmas as Mycoplasma fermentans. Four isolates were presumptively identified as Mycoplasma pirum. Growth on solid media was insufficient to permit the identification of the species of the other 12 isolates by growth inhibition.

Menstrual function in human immunodeficiency virus-infected women without acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

To assess whether HIV infection is associated with menstrual abnormalities in HIV-infected women without AIDS, we evaluated 248 premenopausal HIV-infected women without AIDS and 82 HIV-negative women. Detailed medical, drug use, and menstrual histories (using menstrual calendars) were obtained. Complete physical and pelvic examinations and CD4 counts were performed. HIV-infected women were more likely to experience intervals > 6 weeks without menstrual bleeding [8 vs. 0%, odds ratio (OR) = 10.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8-1,000) and amenorrhea > 3 months (5 vs. 0%, OR = 7.1, 95% CI 1.1-1,000) (after adjustment for drug use, age, and race). Premenstrual breast swelling (p = 0.01), tenderness (p = 0.01), and dysmenorrhea (p = 0.04) were less common in HIV-infected women. There were no differences in intermenstrual bleeding or irregular menstrual cycles. Among HIV-infected women, only a past history of substance abuse was significantly associated with menstrual irregularities in a logistic regression model adjusting for age, current and past drug use, alcohol use, cigarette smoking, CD4 count, and category B conditions [1993 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) classification system]. The increase in amenorrhea (> 3 months) and in menstrual cycle intervals > 6 weeks and the lower rates of premenstrual breast symptoms in HIV-positive women suggest the possibility of disturbances in menstrual function that do not appear to be attributable to clinically apparent secondary complications of HIV. Changes in menstrual function were also significantly associated with a past history of, but not current, substance abuse, suggesting the possibility that socioeconomic factors rather than biologic effects of drugs may be responsible.

Incidence and risk factors for heterosexually acquired HIV in an inner-city cohort of women: temporal association with pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: A growing proportion of AIDS cases in the United States are due to heterosexual transmission of HIV, particularly in women. The risk of heterosexually acquired HIV was prospectively studied in a cohort of inner-city women with no history of parenteral drug use. METHODS: Study participants were evaluated at 6-month intervals for the presence of HIV antibody, sexually transmitted diseases, self-reported sexual behavior, and drug use by self-report and urine screening. RESULTS: Of 449 initially HIV-negative women who were seen at least once in follow-up, 4 seroconverted to HIV, with a cumulative incidence of 2.4% at 30 months. Risk factors for HIV seroconversion included nonparenteral drug use (p < .02) and anal intercourse (p < .01). Sexually transmitted diseases were not associated with HIV, although the power to detect such an association was limited. In addition, 3 of 4 seroconverters became pregnant, yielding a rate of 55.5 pregnancies/100 person-years of follow-up compared with a rate of 11.1 pregnancies/100 person-years of follow-up in nonseroconverters (p < .03). CONCLUSION: The incident rate of heterosexually acquired HIV in this inner-city U.S. cohort of women who were not using parenteral drugs is comparable with that reported in some developing countries where heterosexually acquired HIV is endemic. Most seroconversions appeared related to risk behavior seen in association with nonparenteral drug use. The previously unreported association of incident HIV infection with pregnancy in this cohort may be related to either behavioral or biologic factors.

Persistent infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae following acute respiratory illness.

Chlamydia pneumoniae is emerging as a significant cause of respiratory disease, including pneumonia and bronchitis, in humans. In this recently completed study of infection due to C. pneumoniae in patients presenting with pneumonia to SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, we identified two individuals for whom cultures were positive on multiple occasions over a 1-year period. To determine the frequency of persistent respiratory infection with C. pneumoniae, follow-up specimens were obtained from nine individuals with culture-documented C. pneumoniae infection. Five of these individuals had persistent infection: four had a flulike illness characterized by pharyngitis, and one had bronchitis with prominent bronchospasm. All five individuals appeared to have acute C. pneumoniae infection as determined by results of serologic tests (titers of IgM antibody for all individuals were greater than or equal to 1:16). For three patients, cultures remained positive for 11 months despite therapy with 10- to 21-day courses of tetracycline or doxycycline. These observations suggest that persistent infection with C. pneumoniae may follow acute infection and may persist for many months. Infection with C. pneumoniae may be very difficult to eradicate with use of currently available antibiotics even if there is a clinical response to therapy.

Zidovudine is beneficial in human immunodeficiency virus associated nephropathy.

Human immunodeficiency virus associated nephropathy (Hivan) is a distinct renal disease described in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Hivan is characterized by a nephrotic syndrome, enlarged kidneys, a histologic finding of focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, and a very rapid progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). No therapeutic intervention has been shown, in a prospective evaluation, to either alter the course of established Hivan or to influence the emergence of Hivan in HIV-infected patients. We conducted a prospective study on 23 consecutively selected patients seen between 1989 and 1992 who were infected with the HIV, 14 (61%) of whom had significant proteinuria (> or = 2+). Percutaneous kidney biopsy was performed in 5 (36%) of the 14 subjects who had significant proteinuria, and histologic examination of the kidney tissue revealed focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis in all 5 cases. Of the 14 subjects with proteinuria, 8 (57%) also had azotemia (serum creatinine level > or = 1.3 mg/dl). Nine (39%) of 23 subjects admitted intravenous drug use, while 9 (39%) of 23 subjects have had an opportunistic infection before enrollment in the study. The known duration of HIV infection before initiation of zidovudine therapy was 10.3 +/- (SD) 8 months. The mean CD4 count before zidovudine therapy was 195.9 +/- 117 (range 21-654) cells/mm3. The mean dose of zidovudine administered was 543 +/- 117 (range 400-800) mg daily for a period of 20.4 +/- 11 (range 6-38) months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)