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We assessed whether symptomatic neurocognitive impairment (NCI) and asymptomatic NCI -of which the clinical relevance is debated- affect HIV control and the role of ART adherence in this relationship. Observational study on the relationship between NCI and viral control during the 2 years before and the 2 after the neurocognitive evaluation (NCE) of 322 PLWH on ART. Viral load (VL) was defined as undetectable, very low-level (VLLV), low-level (LLV), or high-level viremia (HLV), and classified overtime as persistent (p; ≥2 consecutive values in the same worst category), viral failure (VF; ≥1 HLV requiring ART changes), or optimal control. Adherence was the proportion of days covered by ART. Frascati criteria were used. Adjusted models were performed for factors associated with viral control. Mediation analyses informed causality in the path from NCI to viral control through adherence. Sensitivity analyses were focused on the year following NCE for only participants with optimal viral control before. Among the participants (53 ± 10 years, CD4 + T-cells 630/µL), 41.6% and 10.8% presented asymptomatic and symptomatic NCI. Over 3,304 VLs, 8.4% and 22.1% of participants had VF and pLLV/pVLLV. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic NCI were independently associated with VF (aRRR = 8.5; aRRR = 4.3) and pVLLV/pLLV (aRRR = 4.3; aRRR = 2.1). Specific cognitive domains showed independent associations with VL categories (models' P < 0.001). Adherence partially mediated these relationships (models' P < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis confirmed these findings. Prevalence and severity of poor viral control increased as the severity of NCI increased, with ART adherence mediating this relationship. The current "asymptomatic" attribution used by Frascati's criteria could overlook clinical risks.
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Background: Patients on B-cell-depleting agents may have a suboptimal response to vaccination, placing them at a higher risk of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or suffering from a more severe prognosis. Indeed, available data on pre-exposure prophylaxis with tixagevimab/cilgavimab (Evusheld) in subjects with glomerular diseases (GDs) who received rituximab are limited. Methods: We conducted a prospective study analysing the safety and efficacy of tixagevimab/cilgavimab for pre-exposure prophylaxis in patients with GDs who received rituximab in the previous 12 months. The rates of symptomatic infections and hospitalizations were compared with those for patients with GD treated with rituximab who refused to receive tixagevimab/cilgavimab. Results: Tixagevimab/cilgavimab was administered to 22 patients (12 females, mean age 58.4 ± 19.6 years) with GD diagnoses including membranous nephropathy, lupus nephritis, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. No patient treated with tixagevimab/cilgavimab experienced symptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2 during the follow-up (mean observation time of follow-up was 112 ± 23 days), while 11 of 28 controls (39.3%) reported a symptomatic infection (P = .0001), requiring hospitalization in 2 cases. Reported adverse events were mild, namely self-limiting headache [4], discomfort at the injection site [3], flu-like symptoms/myalgia [3] and fever [1]. No serious adverse events (e.g. cardiac events, anaphylaxis) were reported. Conclusion: Pre-exposure prophylaxis with tixagevimab/cilgavimab seems safe and lowered the risk of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection by ≈40% in vaccinated subjects with GD who received anti-CD20 therapy. Possible applications in the subset of patients who need immunosuppressive therapy, especially with rituximab, in a pandemic setting might be envisaged.
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(1) Background: Ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T) is a novel ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitor with excellent activity against the multidrug-resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa. Continuous infusion (CI) dosing allows the optimization of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) properties of ß-lactam antibiotics and may support patients' treatment as outpatients. (2) Methods: Adult patients receiving their entire course of C/T as a CI in the outpatient setting were retrospectively included in the study. The primary outcome evaluated was clinical resolution. The secondary outcomes evaluated were PK/PD target attainment (ƒT > 4 × MIC) and microbiologic clearance at the end of treatment. Therapeutic drug monitoring to assess C/T concentration was performed. (3) Results: Three patients were enrolled in the study and received 9 g of C/T in CI every 24 h. One patient received an additional course of antimicrobial therapy due to disease exacerbation six months after initial treatment, accounting for four evaluated treatments. The primary outcome was achieved in 3/4 treatments and the secondary outcome was achieved in 4/4 and 3/3, respectively. In all patients, free ceftolozane concentrations were >10 times higher than the EUCAST breakpoint (4 mg/L). (4) Conclusions: Elastomeric infusion of C/T delivered in CI can be an effective and convenient way to treat acute diseases caused by MDR-P. aeruginosa, avoid hospital admission, and contribute to infection control strategies. Despite the small number of enrolled patients, clinical and microbiological results support this strategy.
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OBJECTIVES: No agent has yet been proven to be effective for the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. METHODS: We conducted a pilot prospective open, single-arm multicentre study on off-label use of tocilizumab (TCZ) involving 63 hospitalised adult patients (56 males, age 62.6±12.5) with severe COVID-19. Clinical and laboratory parameters were prospectively collected at baseline, day 1, 2, 7 and 14. No moderate-to-severe adverse events attributable to TCZ were recorded. RESULTS: We observed a significant improvement in the levels of ferritin, C-reactive protein, D-dimer. The ratio of the partial pressure of oxygen (Pa02) to the fraction of inspired oxygen (Fi02) improved (mean±SD Pa02/Fi02 at admission: 152±53; at day 7: 283.73±115.9, at day 14: 302.2±126, p<0.05). The overall mortality was 11%; D-dimer level at baseline, but not IL-6 levels were predictors of mortality. TCZ administration within 6 days from admission in the hospital was associated with an increased likelihood of survival (HR 2.2 95%CI 1.3-6.7, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In hospitalised adult patients with severe COVID-19, TCZ could be a safe option. An improvement in respiratory and laboratory parameters was observed. Future controlled trials in patients with severe illness are urgently needed to confirm the definite benefit with IL-6 target therapy.
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Anticuerpos Monoclonales Humanizados/uso terapéutico , Betacoronavirus , Infecciones por Coronavirus/terapia , Neumonía Viral/terapia , Anciano , COVID-19 , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Uso Fuera de lo Indicado , Pandemias , Proyectos Piloto , Estudios Prospectivos , Receptores de Interleucina-6/antagonistas & inhibidores , SARS-CoV-2 , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
A case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is described in an HIV-negative patient with mixed connective-tissue disease (MCTD) on a minimally immunosuppressive treatment with hydroxychloroquine. The patient presented with right-sided weakness, episodes of disorientation and loss of short-term memory and of vision in her right eye. PML was diagnosed by JCV DNA on cerebrospinal fluid and radiological criteria. She was treated with off-label maraviroc and mirtazapine but died two months after hospital admission, despite a surprising decrease in the viral load of cerebrospinal fluid three weeks after starting therapy. Prompt diagnosis and antiviral treatment of PML even in low-risk patients are warranted. Future studies are required to define the therapeutic role of maraviroc (MVC) and mirtazapine in this setting.
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Antagonistas de los Receptores CCR5/administración & dosificación , Leucoencefalopatía Multifocal Progresiva/tratamiento farmacológico , Maraviroc/administración & dosificación , Mirtazapina/administración & dosificación , Quimioterapia Combinada , Femenino , Seronegatividad para VIH , Humanos , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
: A simple ultra performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array method for the quantification of human plasma concentrations of tigecycline was developed and validated. Quinaxoline, used as an internal standard, was added to 500 µL of plasma before adding 1 mL of protein precipitation solution. The extracts were dried in a vacuum centrifuge system at 60°C and reconstituted with 60 µL of water and acetonitrile (95:5, vol/vol), and 5 µL was injected onto an ACQUITY UPLC H-Class system. Chromatographic separation was performed on a C18 ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column using a gradient of potassium phosphate buffer (pH 3.2) and acetonitrile. Detection was performed using a photodiode array detector at 350 nm. Relative error at 3 quality control concentrations ranged from -2.49% to -8.74%. Intraday and interday (percent relative standard error) precision ranged from 3.93% to 12.27% and from 9.53% to 13.32%, respectively. Limit of quantification and limit of detection were 0.024 and 0.006 µg/mL, respectively. Mean recovery was 95%. The calibration curve was linear up to 6 µg/mL. This concentration range proved to be adequate to measure tigecycline concentrations in patients treated with the drug, therefore this method would be suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring.