Diabetes in a hospital cohort of persons living with HIV: a descriptive and comparative study in French Guiana.

BACKGROUND: In French Guiana (population 294,000) the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (10%) and of HIV(1.1%) are very high. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of diabetes and its complications in a HIV cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled HIV-infected persons followed in Cayenne, Kourou, and Saint Laurent du Maroni hospitals between January 1, 1992 and December 31, 2021 in the French Hospital Database for HIV (FHDH) a national database compiling data from all French regions. RESULTS: There was no difference of diabetes prevalence between men (8.2%) and women (8.8%), P = 0.4. Patients with diabetes were older (56 years ± 13.4) than those without diabetes (44.7 years ± 13.6) and prevalence increased with age. The proportion of persons with diabetes was greater among virologically suppressed persons (10%) than those with a detectable viral load under antiretroviral treatment (5.8%). Persons with diabetes had substantially greater CD4 counts at diagnosis than persons without diabetes. The majority of macro and microvascular complications were observed in people with diabetes. Persons with diabetes and HIV were significantly less likely to have had AIDS (1.6 versus 2.2 per 100 person-years, respectively). Overall, 374 persons living with HIV of 4167 had died (9%) the proportion of persons with diabetes among the dead was greater than those who did not die 11.7% versus 8.1%, respectively, p = 0.017. However, persons with diabetes were older and hence died older, 62.3 years (SD = 1.9) for deceased persons with diabetes versus 50.4 years (SD = 0.8), P < 0.0001. However, using Cox regression to adjust for age, initial CD4 count, country of birth there was no significant difference in the Hazard for death between persons with diabetes and persons without diabetes (aHR = 0.99, 95%CI = 0.65-1.5), P = 0.9. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of diabetes in our HIV cohort was high. Persons with diabetes had greater CD4 counts, earlier care, and greater virological suppression than persons without diabetes. There were no significant differences between persons with diabetes and without diabetes in terms of survival.

Automated and combined HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis testing among illegal gold miners in French Guiana using a standardized dried blood device.

Blood spotted onto filter paper can be easily collected outside healthcare facilities and shipped to a central laboratory for serological testing. However, dried blood testing generally requires manual processing for pre-analytical steps. In this study, we used a standardized blood collection device combined with an automated elution system to test illegal gold miners living in French Guiana for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis. We included 378 participants, 102 females and 266 males, in three illegal gold mining resting sites. Blood collected on the Ser-Col device (Labonovum) was eluted using an automated system (SCAUT Ser-Col automation, Blok System Supply) and an automated analyzer (Alinity i, Abbott). Ser-Col results were compared to both plasma results, considered the gold standard, and to Dried blood Spot (DBS) results, considered the reference sampling method using dried blood. In plasma samples, two participants (0.5%) tested positive for HIV, six (1.5%) tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), eight were weakly positive for anti-HCV antibodies but negative for HCV RNA, and 47 tested positive for treponemal antibodies (12.4%), including 20 females (19.6%) and 27 males (9.8%, p= 0.010179). We observed a full concordance of Ser-Col and DBS results for HIV diagnosis compared to plasma results. Ser-Col and DBS samples tested positive in five HBsAg carriers and negative for one participant with a low HBsAg level in plasma (0.5 IU/mL). All participants tested negative for HCV in Ser-Col and DBS samples, including the eight participants who tested low positive for HCV antibodies and HCV RNA negative in plasma. Among syphilis seropositive participants, 41 (87.2%) and 40 (85.1%) tested positive for treponemal antibodies in Ser-Col and DBS samples, respectively. The Ser-Col method allows automated dried blood testing of HIV, HBV, HCV and syphilis with performances comparable to DBS. Automated approaches to test capillary blood transported on dried blood devices may facilitate large-scale surveys and improve testing of populations living in remote areas.

Sexual and addictive risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections in illegal gold miners in French Guiana: A multicenter observational study.

OBJECTIVES: Common representations of the world of gold mining-especially illegal-are usually negative: the activity conjures up images of drug trafficking, human exploitation, the sex trade, environmental destruction, and infectious diseases, in particular sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The aim of the present article is to describe the levels of risk behaviors such as transactional sex, multiple sexual partners, and the frequency of condom use, addictive substance consumption, and the prevalence of STIs among the population of illegal gold miners in French Guiana (FG), a French overseas entity in Amazonia, in order to guide potential interventions. METHODS: An observational multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out from October to December 2019 along the two borders of FG with Suriname and Brazil at rest sites used by the miners. RESULTS: Among the 499 participants, transactional sex was very prevalent, declared by 33.5% of men and 8.4% of women. Condoms were more frequently used for transactional sex than with a non-commercial partner (93.4% versus 42.1%). More women were tested for HIV than men (91.1% versus 55.2%). Excessive alcohol consumption (57.3%%) and tobacco use (41.2%) were very frequent, but cocaine or crack consumption was low (1.2%), which refuted our initial assumption. Consumers of alcohol had more sexual partners and reported condom use more frequently. Prevalence of HIV, HCV, HBV, and syphilis was respectively 0.5% (95% CI: 0.1-2.1), 2.1% (95% CI: 0.7-3.6), 1.6% (95% CI: 0.3-2.8), and 12.4% (95% CI: 9.0-15.7), which was higher than in the local population, especially for syphilis. CONCLUSION: This study documents for the first time the risk behaviors of gold miners in FG. Although the level of condom use was high, the prevalence of STIs combined with the high rate of transactional sex should encourage an increase in prevention and screening, in particular through rapid tests, given the mobility of the population concerned.

Illegal gold miners in French Guiana: a neglected population with poor health.

BACKGROUND: In French Guiana, a French overseas territory in South America, 6 to 10 thousands undocumented persons work illegally in gold mining sites in the Amazonian forest. Precarious life conditions lead to poor health but few data exist on the health status of illegal gold miners in French Guiana. The objective of this article was to describe the sociodemographic and health status of this vulnerable population. METHOD: A prospective cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015 on gold mine supply sites at the border between French Guiana and Suriname. Health status was assessed through medical examination, past medical history, haemoglobin concentration, and HIV and malaria testing. A questionnaire was used to collect data about the migration itinerary and life conditions on mining sites. RESULTS: Among the 421 adults included in the study, 93.8% (395/421) were Brazilian, mainly from Maranhão (55.7%, 220/395), the poorest Brazilian state. The sex ratio was 2.4. Overall, 48% of persons never went to school or beyond the primary level. The median time spent in gold mining was quite long (10 years), with a high turn-over. One third of the surveyed population (37.1%, 156/421) had high blood pressure, and only two had a medical follow-up. Most persons had experienced malaria (89.3%, 376/421). They declared frequent arboviroses and digestive disorders. Active leishmaniasis was observed in 8.3% of gold miners. Among women, 28.5% were anemic. Concerning HIV, 36.6% (154/421) of persons, mainly men, never got tested before and 6 were tested positive, which represented an HIV prevalence of 1.43% (95%CI =0.29-2.5). CONCLUSION: These findings support the hypothesis that mining in remote areas is linked to several specific illnesses. Theoretically, gold miners would be presumed to start their economical migration to French Guiana as a healthy group. However, their strenuous working and living conditions there lead to poor health caused by infectious and non infectious diseases. This description of their health status is precious for health policy planners in French Guiana given the importance of controlling communicable disease, and the severity and range of specific illnesses acquired by this neglected population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registration PRS N° NCT02903706 . Retrospectively registered 09/13/2016.