Investigating zero transmission of HIV in the MSM population: a UK modelling case study.

BACKGROUND: UNAIDS 90-90-90 goals for HIV have been surpassed in the UK, with focus now moving to ending transmission by 2030. The concept of zero transmission is complex and many factors can influence transmission. We aimed to investigate how the target of zero transmission might be reached in the UK. METHODS: We developed a de novo Markov state transition open cohort model of HIV with a 50-year time horizon, which models six key screening, treatment and prevention parameters, including treatment-as-prevention (TasP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We studied the anticipated HIV epidemic trajectory over time in men who have sex with men (MSM), with and without changing the six key parameters, defining zero transmission as a 60% reduction in incidence compared with 2010 incidence. RESULTS: Zero transmission in the MSM population was not achieved within the model's time horizon in our base case scenario, when the six key parameters were set to their 2019 values. Several future scenarios were explored, including a combination approach to preventing HIV transmission through increasing five key parameter values and considering three different TasP values; zero transmission was achieved by 2030 in the scenario where TasP was increased from its current level of 97-99%, avoiding 48,969 new HIV cases over the time horizon and reducing the lifetime risk of acquiring HIV for HIV-negative MSM not using PrEP from 13.65 to 7.53%. CONCLUSIONS: Zero transmission in the UK MSM population can be reached by the target year of 2030 with bold changes to HIV policy. A combination approach such as the UK Government's 'Towards Zero' Action plan, impacting multiple policies and including an increase in TasP, has the potential to achieve meaningful reductions in HIV transmission and meet this ambitious goal.

Elizabethkingia meningoseptica Infection in COVID-19 Patients.

Bacterial and fungal coinfections including the emergence of antimicrobial resistance are well-recognized in the era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections. We present three cases of Elizabethkingia meningoseptica (EM), superinfections in COVID-19 patients admitted between the period of April 2021 and May 2021. All cases were intubated; had central venous catheters, had received prior antibiotics and antivirals as well as dexamethasone as part of severe COVID-19 management. Only one patient received anakinra. EM isolates were resistant to most available antibiotics and patients infected with it had poor treatment outcomes.

Acute Epstein-Barr Virus Infection Complicated by Rhabdomyolysis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Infectious mononucleosis is typically a self-limiting illness though it can cause serious complications. On the other hand, rhabdomyolysis can activate after intense exertion, drugs, or infections. We present a report of a patient who presented with infectious mononucleosis and developed rhabdomyolysis that was complicated by acute kidney injury requiring hemodialysis, which makes it the eighth most reported case worldwide according to our review. Our aim is to bring the attention of clinicians to the fact that serious complications like rhabdomyolysis can happen following such a common viral infection.

Prevalence and global trends of polypharmacy among people living with HIV: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: There has been a rising prevalence of polypharmacy among people living with HIV (PLWH). Uncertainty however remains regarding the exact estimates of polypharmacy among these cohorts of patients. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed; EMBASE, CROI, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; Science Citation Index and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects for studies between 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2021 that reported on the prevalence of polypharmacy (ingestion of > 5 non-ART medications) among PLWH on antiretroviral therapy regimen (ART). Prevalence of polypharmacy among HIV-positive patients on ART with Clopper-Pearson 95% confidence intervals were presented. The heterogeneity between studies was evaluated using I 2 and τ 2 statistics. Results: One hundred ninety-seven studies were initially identified, 23 met the inclusion criteria enrolling 55,988 PLWH, of which 76.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): 76.4-77.1] were male. The overall pooled prevalence of polypharmacy among PLWH was 33% (95% CI: 25-42%) (I 2 = 100%, τ2 = 0.9170, p < 0.0001). Prevalence of polypharmacy is higher in the Americas (44%, 95% CI: 27-63%) (I 2 = 100%, τ2 = 1.0886, p < 0.01) than Europe (29%, 95% CI: 20-40%) (I 2 = 100%, τ2 = 0.7944, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The pooled prevalence estimates from this synthesis established that polypharmacy is a significant and rising problem among PLWH. The exact interventions that are likely to significantly mitigate its effect remain uncertain and will need exploration by future prospective and systematic studies. Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42020170071. Plain Language Summary: Background: In people living with HIV (PLWH), what is the prevalence of polypharmacy and is this influenced by sociodemographic factors?Methods and Results: In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 23 studies comprising 55,988 participants, we have for the first time found an estimated polypharmacy pooled prevalence of 33% among PLWH. There was a relatively higher pooled prevalence of polypharmacy among the America's compared with European cohorts of PLWH.Conclusion: Polypharmacy among PLWH is a rising morbidity that needs urgent intervention both at policy and patient levels of care.

Systematic review of the prevalence of psychiatric illness and sleep disturbance as co-morbidities of HIV infection in the UK.

Psychiatric illness and sleeping disorders are important co-morbidities of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, which impact both the individual and antiretroviral therapy (ART) selection. This systematic review aimed to assess the prevalence of psychiatric illness and sleep disturbance in people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the UK. Systematic searches for publications reporting epidemiological data for psychiatric co-morbidities and sleep disturbance with HIV were conducted in Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, eight key conferences (2013-2015), and by hand-searching references of included publications. Data were extracted from publications (2000 onwards) reporting the UK prevalence of depression, anxiety, suicide ideation, or sleep disturbance as a co-morbidity of HIV infection. Comparative UK general population data were obtained from the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England household survey, the 2012 Health Survey for England, and 'PatientBase' (epidemiological database). Sixteen publications met the inclusion criteria. Amongst PLHIV in the UK, the prevalence of depression varied from 17-47%, compared with a reported 2-5% prevalence for the UK general population. A similar disparity was observed in the prevalence of anxiety (22-49% PLHIV versus 4-5% general population), depression or anxiety (50-58% PLHIV versus 27% general population), difficulty sleeping (61% PLHIV versus 10% population), and suicide ideation (31% PLHIV versus 1% general population). This systematic review of UK data demonstrates that rates of psychiatric illness and sleep disturbance are substantially higher amongst PLHIV than in the general population. These data underline the importance of fully considering sleep and psychiatric issues prior to selection and prescription of antiretroviral drugs, as well as the need for ongoing psychiatric and psychological support for PLHIV on ART.

Prevalence of hepatitis D virus infection in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis D virus (also known as hepatitis delta virus) can establish a persistent infection in people with chronic hepatitis B, leading to accelerated progression of liver disease. In sub-Saharan Africa, where HBsAg prevalence is higher than 8%, hepatitis D virus might represent an important additive cause of chronic liver disease. We aimed to establish the prevalence of hepatitis D virus among HBsAg-positive populations in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: We systematically reviewed studies of hepatitis D virus prevalence among HBsAg-positive populations in sub-Saharan Africa. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Scopus for papers published between Jan 1, 1995, and Aug 30, 2016, in which patient selection criteria and geographical setting were described. Search strings included sub-Saharan Africa, the countries therein, and permutations of hepatitis D virus. Cohort data were also added from HIV-positive populations in Malawi and Ghana. Populations undergoing assessment in liver disease clinics and those sampled from other populations (defined as general populations) were analysed. We did a meta-analysis with a DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model to calculate a pooled estimate of hepatitis D virus seroprevalence. FINDINGS: Of 374 studies identified by our search, 30 were included in our study, only eight of which included detection of hepatitis D virus RNA among anti-hepatitis D virus seropositive participants. In west Africa, the pooled seroprevalence of hepatitis D virus was 7·33% (95% CI 3·55-12·20) in general populations and 9·57% (2·31-20·43) in liver-disease populations. In central Africa, seroprevalence was 25·64% (12·09-42·00) in general populations and 37·77% (12·13-67·54) in liver-disease populations. In east and southern Africa, seroprevalence was 0·05% (0·00-1·78) in general populations. The odds ratio for anti-hepatitis D virus detection among HBsAg-positive patients with liver fibrosis or hepatocellular carcinoma was 5·24 (95% CI 2·74-10·01; p<0·0001) relative to asymptomatic controls. INTERPRETATION: Findings suggest localised clusters of hepatitis D virus endemicity across sub-Saharan Africa. Epidemiological data are needed from southern and east Africa, and from patients with established liver disease. Further studies should aim to define the reliability of hepatitis D virus testing methods, identify risk factors for transmission, and characterise the natural history of the infection in the region. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust, Royal Society.

Real-world persistence with antiretroviral therapy for HIV in the United Kingdom: A multicentre retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Persistence with an antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen for HIV can be defined as the length of time a patient remains on therapy before stopping or switching. We aimed to describe ART persistence in treatment naïve patients starting therapy in the United Kingdom, and to describe differential persistence by treatment regimen. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study at eight UK centres of ART-naïve adults commencing ART between 2012 and 2015. Aggregate data were extracted from local treatment databases. Time to discontinuation was compared for different third agents and NRTI backbones using incidence rates. RESULTS: 1949 patients contributed data to the analysis. Rate of third agent change was 28 per 100 person-years of follow up [95% CI 26-31] and NRTI backbone change of 15 per 100 person-years of follow up [95% CI 14-17]). Rilpivirine, as co-formulated rilpivirine/tenofovir/emtricitabine had a significantly lower discontinuation rate than all other third agents and, excluding single tablet regimens, co-formulated tenofovir/emtricitabine had a significantly lower discontinuation rate than co-formulated abacavir/lamivudine. The reasons for discontinuation were not well recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment discontinuation is not an uncommon event. Rilpivirine had a significantly lower discontinuation rate than other third agents and tenofovir/emtricitabine a lower rate than co-formulated abacavir/lamivudine.

Genome-wide association study of nevirapine hypersensitivity in a sub-Saharan African HIV-infected population.

Background: The antiretroviral nevirapine is associated with hypersensitivity reactions in 6%-10% of patients, including hepatotoxicity, maculopapular exanthema, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Objectives: To undertake a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify genetic predisposing factors for the different clinical phenotypes associated with nevirapine hypersensitivity. Methods: A GWAS was undertaken in a discovery cohort of 151 nevirapine-hypersensitive and 182 tolerant, HIV-infected Malawian adults. Replication of signals was determined in a cohort of 116 cases and 68 controls obtained from Malawi, Uganda and Mozambique. Interaction with ERAP genes was determined in patients positive for HLA-C*04:01 . In silico docking studies were also performed for HLA-C*04:01 . Results: Fifteen SNPs demonstrated nominal significance ( P < 1 × 10 -5 ) with one or more of the hypersensitivity phenotypes. The most promising signal was seen in SJS/TEN, where rs5010528 ( HLA-C locus) approached genome-wide significance ( P < 8.5 × 10 -8 ) and was below HLA -wide significance ( P < 2.5 × 10 -4 ) in the meta-analysis of discovery and replication cohorts [OR 4.84 (95% CI 2.71-8.61)]. rs5010528 is a strong proxy for HLA-C*04:01 carriage: in silico docking showed that two residues (33 and 123) in the B pocket were the most likely nevirapine interactors. There was no interaction between HLA-C*04:01 and ERAP1 , but there is a potential protective effect with ERAP2 [ P = 0.019, OR 0.43 (95% CI 0.21-0.87)]. Conclusions: HLA-C*04:01 predisposes to nevirapine-induced SJS/TEN in sub-Saharan Africans, but not to other hypersensitivity phenotypes. This is likely to be mediated via binding to the B pocket of the HLA-C peptide. Whether this risk is modulated by ERAP2 variants requires further study.

Effect of intermittent rifampicin on the pharmacokinetics and safety of raltegravir.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies of raltegravir and rifampicin have not studied the interaction when rifampicin is dosed intermittently. This study aimed to assess the pharmacokinetics of twice daily raltegravir and intermittently dosed rifampicin. METHODS: This was a prospective, open, single-arm, three-part, controlled study in healthy volunteers. Over a period of 38 days subjects received 5 days of standard-dose raltegravir (400 mg twice daily) followed by 28 days of standard-dose raltegravir plus rifampicin three times a week followed by 5 days of high-dose (800 mg twice daily) raltegravir plus rifampicin three times a week. Pharmacokinetic sampling was performed on days 5, 33 and 38. Raltegravir pharmacokinetic parameters were determined by non-compartmental analysis and reported as geometric means and 90% CIs. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01424826. RESULTS: Sixteen subjects (12 females) completed the study. Raltegravir trough plasma concentration (C12) was significantly lower in the presence of rifampicin when dosed at 400 mg twice daily (40%), which was not observed with 800 mg twice daily dosing. Raltegravir Cmax and AUC0-12 were both significantly higher in the presence of rifampicin when dosed at 800 mg twice daily (76% and 84%, respectively), but this dose was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that rifampicin induction of raltegravir is comparable between daily and intermittent rifampicin. In the absence of definitive clinical efficacy data to suggest otherwise, doses of 800 mg of raltegravir twice daily with rifampicin thrice weekly are well tolerated and yield higher AUCs and comparable C12 when compared with raltegravir alone.

CYP2B6 c.983T>C polymorphism is associated with nevirapine hypersensitivity in Malawian and Ugandan HIV populations.

BACKGROUND: Nevirapine, an NNRTI used in HIV treatment, can cause hypersensitivity reactions in 6%-10% of patients. In the most serious cases (1.3%) this can manifest as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). METHODS: DNA samples were obtained and analysed from a total of 209 adult patients with nevirapine hypersensitivity (57 from a prospective cohort and 152 routine clinic patients) and compared with 463 control patients on nevirapine without any hypersensitivity. The case group included 70 patients with SJS/TEN. All individuals were genotyped for two SNPs in the CYP2B6 gene [c.516G>T (CYP2B6*9) and c.983T>C (CYP2B6*18)] using the TaqMan real-time genotyping platform. The replication cohort comprised 29 controls and 55 nevirapine hypersensitive patients, including 8 SJS/TEN cases. RESULTS: An association between the CYP2B6 c.983T>C polymorphism and nevirapine-induced SJS/TEN was observed. In the SJS/TEN group, 30% of individuals possessed at least one c.983T>C versus 16% in the tolerant group [P = 0.006; OR (95% CI) 2.24 (1.27-3.94)]. This association was not significant in the replication cohort [P = 0.075; OR (95% CI) 4.33 (0.80-23.57)]. Combined analysis resulted in an OR of 2.52 (95% CI 1.48-4.20; P = 0.0005) for the association of c.983T>C with SJS/TEN. No association was observed for c.983T>C with other hypersensitivity phenotypes and for CYP2B6 c.516G>T with any hypersensitivity phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show an association between the c.983T>C polymorphism and nevirapine-induced SJS/TEN. CYP2B6 c.983T>C has a frequency of 5%-10% in a variety of African populations, but is not observed in Caucasians, thus representing an ethnic-specific predisposing factor.

Hepatitis B virus sub-genotype A1 infection is characterized by high replication levels and rapid emergence of drug resistance in HIV-positive adults receiving first-line antiretroviral therapy in Malawi.

BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that hepatitis B virus (HBV) sub-genotype A1 infections have mild outcomes and a low risk of drug-resistance among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) receiving lamivudine-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART) without tenofovir in Africa. METHODS: The virologic expression of HBV sub-genotype A1 coinfection was studied over 12 months in HIV-positive adults starting stavudine/lamivudine/nevirapine in Malawi, using Sanger, deep, clonal, and single full-genome sequencing for the sensitive characterization of HBV resistance-associated mutations (RAMs). RESULTS: Among 1117 subjects, 133 (12%) tested HBsAg-positive. After starting ART, retention rates were 96/133 (72%) at 6 months and 54/133 (41%) at 12 months. Based upon the last available follow-up, 92/96 (96%) subjects achieved HIV-1 RNA <40 copies/mL, 48/96 (50%) showed HBV DNA <14 IU/mL, and 24/96 (25%) acquired HBV RAMs. At 6 months, M204I was detected in 8/46 (17%) and 16/17 (94%) subjects using Sanger and deep sequencing, respectively. At 12 months, all viremic patients had multiple resistance and compensatory mutations coexisting on the same HBV genomes. Comparing HBeA-positive (67/133, 50%) with HBeAg-negative subjects, 64/67 (96%) vs 35/66 (55%) showed baseline HBV DNA >2000 IU/mL (P = .0006), 39/47 (17%) vs 9/49 (82%) had persistent HBV DNA detection during follow-up (P < .0001), and 23/47 (49%) vs 2/49 (4%) acquired HBV RAMs (P < .0001). Baseline HBV DNA levels were median 8.1 vs 5.3 log10 IU/mL in subjects with vs those without treatment-emergent RAMs (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: HBV sub-genotype A1 infections showed a severe virologic expression in HIV-positive Malawians. The findings strengthen the urgency of interventions to improve ascertainment and management of chronic hepatitis B in the region.

Association of human leukocyte antigen alleles and nevirapine hypersensitivity in a Malawian HIV-infected population.

BACKGROUND: The nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor nevirapine is the cornerstone of treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in many sub-Saharan African countries. However, nevirapine is associated with a 6%-10% risk of developing a hypersensitivity reaction, with different phenotypes, including the blistering conditions Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Our aim was to identify predictive human leukocyte antigen (HLA) markers that are associated with nevirapine hypersensitivity. METHODS: We identified 117 HIV-infected Malawian adults with nevirapine hypersensitivity (15 drug-induced liver injury [DILI], 33 SJS/TEN, 20 hypersensitivity syndrome, and 46 nevirapine-induced rash plus 3 with both DILI and SJS phenotype) and 155 age-, sex- and ethnicity-matched nevirapine-exposed controls. HLA typing for 5 loci (A, B, C, DRB1, and DQB1) was undertaken using a sequence-based high-resolution protocol. Logistic regression analysis included CD4(+) cell count as a covariate. RESULTS: HLA-C*04:01 was found to markedly increase the risk for SJS (odds ratio [OR] = 17.52; 95% confidence interval, 3.31-92.80) and all hypersensitivity phenotypes (OR = 2.64; 95% CI, 1.13-6.18) when compared to the baseline rare allele group in a binary logistic regression model. The OR for absolute risk of SJS/TEN associated with carriage of HLA-C*04:01 was 5.17 (95% CI, 2.39-11.18). Positive predictive value was 2.6% and negative predictive value was 99.2%. In addition, a number of alleles within the HLA-DQB1 loci protected against nevirapine-induced hypersensitivity phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has identified HLA-C*04:01 carriage as a risk factor for nevirapine-induced SJS/TEN in a Malawian HIV cohort. Validation of these findings in a larger cohort of patients and mechanistic investigation of the pathogenesis are required.

Hypersensitivity reactions to HIV therapy.

Many drugs used for the treatment of HIV disease (including the associated opportunistic infections) can cause drug hypersensitivity reactions, which vary in severity, clinical manifestations and frequency. These reactions are not only seen with the older compounds, but also with the newer more recently introduced drugs. The pathogenesis is unclear in most cases, but there is increasing evidence to support that many of these are mediated through a combination of immunologic and genetic factors through the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Genetic predisposition to the occurrence of these allergic reactions has been shown for some of the drugs, notably abacavir hypersensitivity which is strongly associated with the class I MHC allele, HLA-B*5701. Testing before the prescription of abacavir has been shown to be of clinical utility, has resulted in a change in the drug label, is now recommended in clinical guidelines and is practiced in most Western countries. For most other drugs, however, there are no good methods of prevention, and clinical monitoring with appropriate (usually supportive and symptomatic) treatment is required. There is a need to undertake further research in this area to increase our understanding of the mechanisms, which may lead to better preventive strategies through the development of predictive genetic biomarkers or through guiding the design of drugs less likely to cause these types of adverse drug reactions.

The IL1RN promoter rs4251961 correlates with IL-1 receptor antagonist concentrations in human infection and is differentially regulated by GATA-1.

IL-1R antagonist (IL-1Ra) is required for adequate host defense in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). The minor allele of an IL1RN gene (C/T) promoter polymorphism (rs4251961) has been shown to be associated with decreased IL-1Ra production in healthy adults. We genotyped 299 children with IPD, and examined 19 IL1RN haplotype-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Human embryonic kidney HEK293(T) cells were transfected with the promoter reporter plasmid pGL3p containing either allelic variant C (pGL3pCC) or T (pGL3pTT) with or without cotransfection with an expression construct overexpressing the globin transcription factor GATA-1. Plasma IL-1Ra concentrations were significantly higher in nonsurvivors compared with survivors (p < 0.0005), and the C allele of rs4251961 was associated with a significant increase in plasma IL-1Ra concentrations (p = 0.01) during the acute illness of IPD. These findings were validated in a cohort of 276 treatment-naive HIV-infected adults, with borderline significance (p = 0.058). Functional analyses demonstrated that the activity of the promoter constructs containing the T allele increased ~6-fold as compared with basal activity, and that containing the C allele by ~9-fold (p < 0.001) in the presence of GATA-1. Our findings suggest that the IL-1Ra single-nucleotide polymorphism rs4251961 plays a key role in the pathophysiology of IPD and in other human infections.

Poor potential coverage for 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, Malawi.

Streptococcus pneumoniae infections can be prevented by using new conjugate vaccines, but these vaccines have limited serogroup coverage. We report the first serogrouping data from carried and invasive isolates obtained from children and adults in Malawi. The 7-valent vaccine would cover 41% of invasive isolates from children and 25% from adults. A 9-valent vaccine, including types 1 and 5, would cover 66% of invasive isolates from children and 55% from adults.

Pneumococcal disease in HIV-infected Malawian adults: acute mortality and long-term survival.

OBJECTIVE: HIV-infected patients in Africa are vulnerable to severe recurrent infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae, but no effective preventive strategy has been developed. We set out to determine which factors influence in-hospital mortality and long-term survival of Malawians with invasive pneumococcal disease. DESIGN, SETTING AND PATIENTS: Acute clinical features, inpatient mortality and long-term survival were described among consecutively admitted hospital patients with S. pneumoniae in the blood or cerebrospinal fluid. Factors associated with inpatient mortality were determined, and patients surviving to discharge were followed to determine their long-term outcome. RESULTS: A total of 217 patients with pneumococcal disease were studied over an 18-month period. Among these, 158 out of 167 consenting to testing (95%) were HIV positive. Inpatient mortality was 65% for pneumococcal meningitis (n = 64), 20% for pneumococcaemic pneumonia (n = 92), 26% for patients with pneumococcaemia without localizing signs (n = 43), and 76% in patients with probable meningitis (n = 17). Lowered consciousness level, hypotension, and age exceeding 55 years at presentation were associated with inpatient death, but not long-term outcome in survivors. Hospital survivors were followed for a median of 414 days; 39% died in the community during the study period. Outpatient death was associated with multilobar chest signs, oral candidiasis, and severe anaemia as an inpatient. CONCLUSION: Most patients with pneumococcal disease in Malawi have HIV co-infection. They have severe disease with a high mortality rate. At discharge, all HIV-infected adults have a poor prognosis but patients with multilobar chest signs or anaemia are at particular risk.