Prevalence and risk factors associated with syphilis in a cohort of HIV positive individuals in Brazil.

Individuals with syphilis have higher chance of having HIV, and syphilis' genital ulcers increases HIV transmission rate. Nevertheless, there are few well-documented studies about HIV and syphilis co-infection and its risk factors. The study was based on 2262 HIV infected individuals from South Brazilian HIV cohort, which began in 1991, and this analysis included individuals who were included in the cohort until November 2008. Inclusion criteria were having CD4 + T cell count and viral load at baseline, and syphilis serology tests (venereal disease research laboratory [VDRL] > 1:64 or a positive VDRL plus a positive treponemal test). A total of 1012 patients were included; 580 were men (57%); mean age at HIV diagnosis was 33 years; 591 (58%) had previous diagnosis of AIDS; most of the individuals acquired HIV from sexual contact (47.9% heterosexual and 31.7% men who had sex with men [MSM]); and 759 (75%) were on antiretroviral therapy. The prevalence of syphilis was 20.5% (208). After multivariate analysis, being male (2.01; 95% CI, 1.23-3.27; p = 0.005) and MSM (1.91; 95% CI, 1.25-2.90; p = 0.002) were significantly associated to HIV and syphilis co-infection. Males and MSM were associated with higher risk of this co-infection. Our findings may reflect that this particular population is still engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse, and efforts should be made to better target this specific group as they might perpetuate these infections.

Epidemiology and outcome of Rhodotorula fungemia in a tertiary care hospital.

We reviewed demographic data, risk factors, treatment, and outcomes associated with Rhodotorula fungemia in a tertiary care hospital during 2002-2005. Rhodotorula species caused fungemic episodes in 7 patients during the 4-year period that we studied. The most common predisposing factors were patients with hematological and solid malignancy receiving corticosteroids and cytotoxic drugs, the presence of central venous catheters, and the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Because of Rhodotorula species's intrinsic resistance to triazole and echinocandin antifungal agents, patients receiving fluconazole and caspofungin might be susceptible to the development of breakthrough Rhodotorula fungemia.

Prevalence, susceptibility profile for fluconazole and risk factors for candidemia in a tertiary care hospital in southern Brazil.

Bloodstream infections caused by yeast, Candida spp, are quite important clinically and epidemiologically due to a high mortality rate and an increasing number of non-albicans species with a more resistant (differentiated susceptibility) profile. We examined species prevalence and susceptibility profile for fluconazole and the risk for nosocomial infections by Candida spp at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, a general tertiary care hospital in southern Brazilian, through a retrospective study, beginning with positive cultures of hospitalized patients. The distribution by species in 131 documented episodes was as follows: Candida albicans (45%), C. parapsilosis (24.4%), C. tropicalis (15.3%), C. glabrata (6.9%), C. krusei (4.6%) and 3.8% other species (C. pelicullosa, C. guilliermondii, C. lusitaniae and C. kefyr). The vast majority of samples (121- 92.4%) were susceptible to fluconazole; the resistant or dose-dependent sensitive samples included only C. krusei and C. glabrata. Blood diseases (leukemia, lymphoma), or neoplasias (solid tumors), were found in 35.0% of the candidemia episodes. We noted the previous use of antibiotics in 128 (97.7%) patients, with 79.7% using three or more antibiotics before the candidemia episode. Other risk factors included a central venous catheter in 94 (71.8%) and abdominal surgery in 32 (24.4%) patients. The overall mortality rate was 51.9%, which varied according to the underlying disease. We found that C. albicans was the most prevalent species, although the non-albicans species predominated. However, in vitro resistance to fluconazole was detected only among the species (C. glabrata and C. krusei) that tend to be resistant to the azolic compounds. Previous use of antibiotic and the use of a central venous catheter were the main risk factors among patients with candidemia.

Two specific strains of Histoplasma capsulatum causing mucocutaneous manifestations of histoplasmosis: preliminary analysis of a frequent manifestation of histoplasmosis in southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: Skin lesions, uncommon in US cases (<10%), occur in 38-85% of cases reported from Latin America. Although these differences may reflect reporting bias, delayed diagnosis, or differences in host immune response among different ethnic groups, they also could result from genetic differences changing the pathobiology of the organism. It is possible that genetic differences among strains of H. capsulatum may influence the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of histoplasmosis. METHODS: We examined the clinical features of patients with mucocutaneous manifestations of histoplasmosis and performed genetic analysis based on nucleotide sequence variations in the internal transcribed spacer regions of rRNA genes of H. capsulatum isolates of patients. Two pairs of PCR primers were designed to develop and amplify the ITS regions of H. capsulatum, 5'-TACCCGGCCACCCTTGTCTA-3' and 5'-AGCGGGTGGCAAAGCCC-3'. These primers were based on the ITS sequence of Ajellomyces capsulatus, the ascomycetous teleomorph form of H. capsulatum, deposited in the GenBank (accession number U18363). Eight patients attending a tertiary-care hospital in southern Brazil were enrolled into the study. All case patients had skin cultures growing H. capsulatum at the mycology laboratory. RESULTS: Six of eight (75%) patients were HIV-positive and presented involvement of multiples organs by H. capsulatum. Two HIV-negative patients did not present evidence of involvement of other organs besides mucosa and skin. ITS sequencing of a DNA H. capsulatum fragment of 485-bp from isolates of 8 patients revealed two distinct strains. The 2 distinct fragments (Hc1, Hc2) differed from each other at 7 positions in the ITS regions. They were identical to strains of H. capsulatum isolated in patients from Colombia and Argentina, but different from strains isolated in US. Hc1 and Hc2 were isolated in 5 patients and 3 patients, respectively, with mucocutaneous manifestations of histoplasmosis. Both Hc1 and Hc2 strains were isolated in HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected patients. CONCLUSIONS: Mucocutaneous manifestations of histoplasmosis, which are frequently seen in Brazilian patients were caused by 2 specific strains in our institution. Those strains have been isolated in patients with these particular clinical features of histoplasmosis in Latin America. Our study suggests that unique pathogenic characteristics among the Latin American species of H. capsulatum might explain its increased dermatotropism.

Prevalence, susceptibility profile for fluconazole and risk factors for candidemia in a tertiary care hospital in southern Brazil

Bloodstream infections caused by yeast, Candida spp, are quite important clinically and epidemiologically due to a high mortality rate and an increasing number of non-albicans species with a more resistant (differentiated susceptibility) profile. We examined species prevalence and susceptibility profile for fluconazole and the risk for nosocomial infections by Candida spp at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, a general tertiary care hospital in southern Brazilian, through a retrospective study, beginning with positive cultures of hospitalized patients. The distribution by species in 131 documented episodes was as follows: Candida albicans (45 percent), C. parapsilosis (24.4 percent), C. tropicalis (15.3 percent), C. glabrata (6.9 percent), C. krusei (4.6 percent) and 3.8 percent other species (C. pelicullosa, C. guilliermondii, C. lusitaniae and C. kefyr). The vast majority of samples (121- 92.4 percent) were susceptible to fluconazole; the resistant or dose-dependent sensitive samples included only C. krusei and C. glabrata. Blood diseases (leukemia, lymphoma), or neoplasias (solid tumors), were found in 35.0 percent of the candidemia episodes. We noted the previous use of antibiotics in 128 (97.7 percent) patients, with 79.7 percent using three or more antibiotics before the candidemia episode. Other risk factors included a central venous catheter in 94 (71.8 percent) and abdominal surgery in 32 (24.4 percent) patients. The overall mortality rate was 51.9 percent, which varied according to the underlying disease. We found that C. albicans was the most prevalent species, although the non-albicans species predominated. However, in vitro resistance to fluconazole was detected only among the species (C. glabrata and C. krusei) that tend to be resistant to the azolic compounds. Previous use of antibiotic and the use of a central venous catheter were the main risk factors among patients with candidemia.