El acceso universal al tratamiento antirretroviral no ha modificado las causas de internación y muerte en infectados por HIV en Buenos Aires / The universal high active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) did not chance the causes of admiission and death of HIV infected patients in Buenos Aires

Introducción: El tratamiento antirretroviral de alta eficacia (TARGA) ha desplazado a las infecciones oportunistas como principal causa de hospitalización en infectados por el HIV. Sin embargo, algunos autores hallaron que las causas de internación por HIV en Buenos Aires no cambiaron a pesar del acceso universal al TARGA desde 1996. Pacientes y Métodos. Para confirmar estos resultados revisamos todos los ingresos hospitalarios ocurridos durante tres años en un hospital general de la ciudad de Buenos Aires. Resultados: 57 pacientes (34 hombres) tuvieron 79 hospitalizaciones: 43 ingresaron sólo una vez y los 14 restantes tuvieron dos o más ingresos hasta totalizar 36 internaciones. La edad fue de 44.46 ± 11.55 años (promedio ± desvío estándard), 43 pacientes (75.45%) se sabían HIV + y 28 de ellos (65.12%) recibían TARGA al ingreso, 31 hospitalizaciones (39.24%) fueron causadas por enfermedades marcadoras de SIDA; 35 (44.30%) por infecciones no marcadoras de SIDA (INMS) y 13 (13.46%) por enfermedades no infecciosas. Tuberculosis fue el diagnóstico más frecuente (11 casos, 13.92%), seguida por meningitis a Cryptococcus neoformans en 9 (11.39%) y toxoplasmosis cerebral en 6 (7.59%). Entre las INMS, la neumonía fue la principal causa de hospitalización (13 pacientes, 16.46%). Discusión: Estos resultados confirman resultados previos comunicando que las causas de hospitalización en infectados por el HIV no cambiaron en respuesta al TARGA en Buenos Aires, lo que puede estar reflejando problemas de detección o adherencia, o puede estar relacionado con resistencia viral, razones sociales o cualquier combinación de estos factores (AU)

Introduction. High Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART) displaced opportunistic infections as the main cause of hospitalization in HIV infected patients. However, some authors found that causes for hospitalization in HiV infected patients did not changed at Buenos Aires although this country offers universal access to HAART since 1996. Patients and Methods. We analyzed all the HIV related admissions recorded during three years at a general hospital. Results. 57 patients (34 men) were hospitalized 79 times. 43 out of them were hospitalized only one time. The reaining 14 were hospitalized 36 times. Age was 44.46 ± 11.55 years (mean ± standard deviation). 43 patients (75.45%) had a previous diagnosis of HIV infection. 28 of them (65.12%) received HAART. 31 hospitalizations (39.24%) were caused by AIDS defining events. 35 (44.30%) related to non-AIDS-defining infections diseases (NADID), and 13 (13.46%) to non-infections diseases. Tuberculosis was the prevalent illness (11 cases, 13.92%), followed by cryptoccal meningitis in 9 (11.39%) and cerebral toxoplasmosis in 6 (7.59%). Among NADID, pneumonia was the main cause of admission (13 patientes, 16,46%). Discussion: These results confirm previous reports showing that causes of HIV related hospitalization remain unchanged in spite of HAART at Buenos Aires, which may be reflecting problems of detection and adherence, or may be related to local viral resistance, social reasons, or any combination of these factors (AU)

HIV-1 infection and pregnancy in young women in Brazil: socioeconomic and drug resistance profiles in a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe socioeconomic and antiretroviral (ARV) drug resistance profiles among young pregnant women infected with HIV-1. SETTING: A public health antenatal programme responsible for screening ∼90 000 pregnant women per year for nine different infectious diseases in Central Western Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: 96 young pregnant women (15-24 years) infected with HIV-1. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Standard interviews and blood samples were taken at the time of recruitment, at the first medical appointment after confirmation of diagnosis of HIV-1 infection, and before ARV prophylaxis initiation. Clinical and laboratory data were retrieved from medical files. HIV-1 pol gene sequences (entire protease/PR, partial reverse transcriptase/RT) were obtained from plasma RNA. ARV resistance mutations (CPR/Stanford HIV-1; International AIDS Society-USA databases) were identified. RESULTS: The median age was 21 years; most reported <8 years education; 73% were recently diagnosed. Approximately 20% (19/96) presented late for antenatal care (after 26 gestational weeks), while 49% reported ≥2 previous pregnancies. Possible heterosexual transmission by an HIV-1 infected partner (17%) and commercial sex work (2%) were reported. The median of CD4 cell count was 526 cells/mm(3); the median viral load was: 10 056 copies/mL in ARV-naïve (48/96) patients and 5881 copies/mL in ARV-exposed (48/96) patients. Two probable seroconversion cases during pregnancy were identified in adolescents. One mother-to-child transmission case (1.0%) was observed. Transmitted drug resistance among ARV-naïve patients was 9.3% (CI 95% 3.3% to 19.6%); secondary drug resistance among ARV-exposed patients was 12.5% (CI 95% 4.7% to 25.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite high access to antenatal care, the low socioeconomic-educational profiles seen in these young HIV-1-infected women highlight the necessity of improved public health educational and preventive strategies regarding HIV infection and early unplanned pregnancy.

Anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 humoral immune response and highly active antiretroviral treatment.

Highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) of human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) infection is very effective in controlling infection, but elimination of viral infection has not been achieved as yet, and upon treatment interruption an immediate rebound of viremia is observed. A combination of HAART with an immune stimulation might allow treatment interruption without this rebounding viremia, as the very low viremias observed with successful HAART may be insufficient to permit maintenance of a specific anti-HIV-1 immune response. The objective of this study was to compare the humoral immune response of individuals undergoing successful HAART (NF=no failure) with that of individuals with evidence of failure of therapy (FT) and to verify if the viremia peaks observed in individuals with therapy failure would act as a specific stimulus for the humoral anti-HIV-1 immune response. Antibodies binding to gp120 V3 genotype consensus peptides were more frequently observed for FT, mainly against peptides corresponding to sequences of genotypes prevalent in the Rio de Janeiro city area, B and F. HIV-1 neutralization of HIV-1 IIIB and of four primary isolates from Rio de Janeiro was less frequently observed for plasma from the NF than the FT group, but this difference was more expressive when plasma from individuals with detectable viremia were compared to that of individuals with undetectable viral loads in the year before sample collection. Although statistically significant differences were observed only in some specific comparisons, the study indicates that presence of detectable viremia may contribute to the maintenance of a specific anti-HIV-1 humoral immune response.

Anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 humoral immune response and highly active antiretroviral treatment

Highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) of human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) infection is very effective in controlling infection, but elimination of viral infection has not been achieved as yet, and upon treatment interruption an immediate rebound of viremia is observed. A combination of HAART with an immune stimulation might allow treatment interruption without this rebounding viremia, as the very low viremias observed with successful HAART may be insufficient to permit maintenance of a specific anti-HIV-1 immune response. The objective of this study was to compare the humoral immune response of individuals undergoing successful HAART (NF=no failure) with that of individuals with evidence of failure of therapy (FT) and to verify if the viremia peaks observed in individuals with therapy failure would act as a specific stimulus for the humoral anti-HIV-1 immune response. Antibodies binding to gp120 V3 genotype consensus peptides were more frequently observed for FT, mainly against peptides corresponding to sequences of genotypes prevalent in the Rio de Janeiro city area, B and F. HIV-1 neutralization of HIV-1 IIIB and of four primary isolates from Rio de Janeiro was less frequently observed for plasma from the NF than the FT group, but this difference was more expressive when plasma from individuals with detectable viremia were compared to that of individuals with undetectable viral loads in the year before sample collection. Although statistically significant differences were observed only in some specific comparisons, the study indicates that presence of detectable viremia may contribute to the maintenance of a specific anti-HIV-1 humoral immune response.