Jean-Pierre Morini

Remission from Kaposi's sarcoma on HAART is associated with suppression of HIV replication and is independent of protease inhibitor therapy.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) reduces the incidence and improves the prognosis of Kaposis sarcoma (KS). This study was designed to identify factors associated with KS clinical responses in HIV-infected patients during HAART. We reviewed the files of 138 HIV-1-infected patients with KS. Epidemiologic and HIV-related clinical and biological parameters were recorded at KS diagnosis (baseline) and every 6 months thereafter. In a subset of 73 antiretroviral-naive patients, we compared the clinical outcome of KS according to the use or nonuse of protease inhibitors (PI). After 6 months of follow-up, KS remission was more frequent in patients who were naive of HAART and who were at ACTG stage S0 at baseline (P=0.03 and 0.02). Undetectable HIV viral load was strongly associated with KS remission (P⩽0.004 at all time points), while CD4 cell count was not. Among the 73 antiretroviral-naive patients at baseline, and who were studied for 24 months, KS outcome did not differ between patients who were prescribed PI-containing and PI-sparing regimens. Intercurrent multicentric Castlemans disease was associated with poor outcome after 60 months of follow-up (P⩽0.0001). Fourteen deaths occurred after a median follow-up of 37.5 months, eight of which were KS related. Suppression of HIV replication appears to be crucial to control KS. Non-PI-based regimens were equivalent to PI-based regimens as regards the clinical and virological outcome of antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected patients with KS.

Evaluation of a PCR Test for Detection of Treponema pallidum in Swabs and Blood

ABSTRACT Syphilis diagnosis is based on clinical observation, serological analysis, and dark-field microscopy (DFM) detection of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the etiological agent of syphilis, in skin ulcers. We performed a nested PCR (nPCR) assay specifically amplifying the tpp47 gene of T. pallidum from swab and blood specimens. We studied a cohort of 294 patients with suspected syphilis and 35 healthy volunteers. Eighty-seven of the 294 patients had primary syphilis, 103 had secondary syphilis, 40 had latent syphilis, and 64 were found not to have syphilis. The T. pallidum nPCR results for swab specimens were highly concordant with syphilis diagnosis, with a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 95%. Reasonable agreement was observed between the results obtained with the nPCR and DFM methods (kappa = 0.53). No agreement was found between the nPCR detection of T. pallidum in blood and the diagnosis of syphilis, with sensitivities of 29, 18, 14.7, and 24% and specificities of 96, 92, 93, and 97% for peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC), plasma, serum, and whole-blood fractions, respectively. HIV status did not affect the frequency of T. pallidum detection in any of the specimens tested. Swab specimens from mucosal or skin lesions seemed to be more useful than blood for the efficient detection of the T. pallidum genome and, thus, for the diagnosis of syphilis.

Autoimmune Bullous Skin Diseases Occurring under Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy: Two Case Reports

Background: Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents are increasingly being used for a rapidly expanding number of rheumatic and systemic diseases. As a result of this use, and of the longer follow-up periods of treatment, there are a growing number of reports of the development of autoimmune processes related to anti-TNF agents. The use of anti-TNF agents has been associated with more and more cases of autoimmune diseases, principally cutaneous vasculitis, lupus-like syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus and interstitial lung disease. Observations: We report 2 cases of autoimmune bullous skin disease occurring in patients undergoing TNF-targeted therapy: a bullous pemphigoid and a pemphigus foliaceus. Both patients were treated by anti-TNF agents for rheumatoid arthritis and showed improvement following interruption of that treatment. Here, we discuss the relationship between anti-TNF therapy and the occurrence of autoimmune bullous disease. Conclusion: Anti-TNF agents should be considered as a potential cause of drug-induced autoimmune bullous skin disease.

Quantification of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus in blood, oral mucosa, and saliva in patients with Kaposi's sarcoma

The aims of this study were to measure Kaposis sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) load in oral mucosa and blood and to determine their relationship with clinical activity of KS in both AIDS-Kaposis sarcoma (KS) and HIV-unrelated KS patients. Among AIDS patients, KSHV viral load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was higher in patients with active KS than in patients with KS in complete remission. In HIV-unrelated KS patients, KSHV viral load in PBMCs was not correlated with clinical stage. Thus, monitoring KSHV viral load in PBMCs could be useful, particularly in the context of HIV infection. In patients with HIV-unrelated KS, KSHV viral load in oral compartments can be very high even in patients with nonactive KS, implying that patients with nonactive KS are still a potential source of transmission of KSHV through oral contact.

Clinical and Serologic Baseline and Follow-Up Features of Syphilis According to HIV Status in the Post-HAART Era

There is a lack of large studies appraising the effect of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on the course of syphilis since the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We aimed to appraise the effect of HIV on clinical and serologic features of syphilis at baseline and during follow-up in the post-HAART era. We designed a retrospective cohort study of consecutive syphilis cases, diagnosed between 2000 and 2007, in an academic venereal disease center. Data were collected using standardized medical forms. Patients were treated according to the European guidelines. Serologic failure was defined as either a 4-fold rise in Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) titers 30-400 days posttreatment or a lack of 4-fold drop in VDRL titers at 270-400 days posttreatment. Among 279 syphilis cases with informative baseline clinical and serologic data, HIV infection was significantly associated with men having sex with men, French origin, multiple partners, lesser usage of condom, history of sexually transmitted disease, early syphilis, anal primary chancre, and cutaneous eruption. Median baseline titer from the Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA) was higher in HIV-infected patients (p = 0.02). Among 144 informative syphilis cases, there was a nonsignificant trend for a lower rate of serologic response among HIV-positive patients (91.8% vs. 98.3%, p = 0.14). Serologic failure was significantly associated with a history of previous syphilis (p < 0.05). The median delay to serologic response was similar in HIV-positive (117 d) and in HIV-negative (123 d) patients (p = 0.44). We conclude that for patients under HAART treatment, the effect of HIV on serologic response to syphilis treatment is likely minimal or absent. Abbreviations: CSF = cerebrospinal fluid, FTA-abs = fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test, HAART = highly active antiretroviral therapy, HIV = human immunodeficiency virus, HR = hazard ratio, MSM = men having sex with men, RPR = rapid plasma reagin, STD = sexually transmitted disease, TPHA = Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay, VDRL = Venereal Disease Research Laboratory.

Molecular subtyping of Treponema pallidum in Paris, France.

Two major Treponema pallidum subtypes, 14 d/g and 14 d/f, were identified in a population of 119 patients with syphilis in Paris, France, characterized by a high proportion of men who have sex with men. A new subtype named 11 q/j was characterized, and a reinfection case was determined in 1 patient having consecuitve syphilis infection at 19-month interval.

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients: a marker of human papillomavirus-related disorders not affected by antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND Skin eruptions resembling epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) are rarely observed in immunocompromised patients. We focused on the epidemiologic, clinical, virologic, and immunologic features of EV in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients. OBSERVATIONS We studied 11 HIV-positive patients (6 men and 5 women) with clinical and histological features of EV observed at our department. The median age at HIV diagnosis was 27 years. At the onset of eruption, the median age was 40 years and the median CD4 T-cell count was 170/μL. Clinical presentation included flat warts (n = 11), pityriasis versicolor-like macules (n = 5), and lichenoid papules (n = 3) on sun-exposed skin. Detection and typing of cutaneous human papillomavirus (HPV) were carried out in 8 cases and always revealed β-HPV infection, including oncogenic HPV-5 or 8 (n = 6). Mucosal HPV-related diseases were present in 7 cases. Histories of skin cancer and lymphoproliferative disorder were recorded in 3 and 4 patients, respectively, including 2 fatal cases. Skin eruption was never improved by highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). In 2 cases, EV was associated with an immune reconstitution syndrome. The present series is the largest with a complete characterization. A review of similar cases was carried out. CONCLUSION Despite effective HAART, HIV-infected patients with EV require a prolonged and careful follow-up to detect mucosal HPV-related diseases, lymphoproliferative disorders, and skin cancers.

Hiv-1 intermittent viraemia in patients treated by non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based regimen

Background:It has been demonstrated that, in patients treated by protease-inhibitor-based regimen, intermittent viraemia occurred frequently and was associated with higher concentrations of residual replication but not with virological failure. Risk factors associated with intermittent viraemia and its impact in patients treated by non-nucleoside-reverse-transcriptase-inhibitor-based (NNRTI) regimen need to be evaluated. Methods:We analyzed the occurrence of blips (one HIV-1 RNA > 50 copies/ml with a subsequent value < 50 copies/ml), the level of these blips (between 3 and 50 copies/ml) and their effect on CD4 cell count and the occurrence of virological failure in 43 patients with stable suppression of HIV-1 plasma viraemia (< 50 copies/ml) under NNRTI-based therapy. Results:Eight out of 43 patients had one episode of blips during the follow-up (median = 350 copies/ml). Comparing patients with and without blips, the median level of HIV-1 RNA at baseline was 7.5 versus 3 copies/ml (P = 0.008), respectively. Patients with blips had a significantly lower CD4 cell count after 12 and 18 months than the others. Plasma concentrations of NNRTI before, during, and after the blips were adequate. In addition, the occurrence of blips was not associated with virological failure. Conclusion:These results suggest that blips may reflect ongoing viraemia of below 50 copies/ml and can impair the CD4 cell count recovery under an NNRTI regimen. The impairment of CD4 cell count recovery seems to be affected more by the occurrence of blips than by the level of viraemia (< 50 copies/ml) itself. Nevertheless, despite a tight genetic barrier for resistance with NNRTI drugs, no virologic failure occurred during the follow-up.

Influence of Development, HIV Infection, and Antiretroviral Therapies on the Gene Expression Profiles of ABC Transporters in Human Lymphocytes

The efficacy of drugs acting on lymphocytes like anticancer, immunosuppressive, and antiretroviral drugs depends on their intracellular concentrations, which could be modulated by membrane efflux pumps belonging to the ABC transporter superfamily. The gene expression profiles of 6 main ABC transporters (MDR1, MRP1, MRP3, MRP4, MRP5, and BCRP) were established in lymphocytes from birth to adulthood using blood samples from 57 children and 15 adults (34 and 5 HIV‐infected, respectively). Gene expression levels were quantified by quantitative RT‐PCR. In adults, the MRP1 gene had the highest expression, followed by the MRP5 gene. BCRP and MRP4 genes were significantly higher expressed at birth than after 1 month of life. Neither HIV infection nor antiretroviral therapies modulated the gene expression profiles of ABC transporters. In conclusion, drugs that are substrates of BCRP and MRP4, like zidovudine, may have an altered efficacy in newborns.

A population analysis of weight-related differences in lopinavir pharmacokinetics and possible consequences for protease inhibitor-naive and -experienced patients.

BACKGROUND Lopinavir is a potent protease inhibitor (PI) used for the treatment of HIV infection. Different lopinavir target trough concentrations (C(troughs)) were previously determined according to patient treatment histories: 1 mg/l for PI-naive patients, and 4 and 5.7 mg/l for PI-experienced patients. However, the probability to achieve these target C(troughs) with the current 400 mg twice-daily or 800 mg once-daily doses of the new tablet form, and the influence of body weight on this probability are unknown. METHODS A population pharmacokinetic model for lopinavir was developed using data from 424 HIV type-1-infected patients, and the final model was used to estimate the probability to achieve target C(troughs) via Monte Carlo simulations. RESULTS A one-compartment model adequately described the data. Mean population estimates (percentage interindividual variability) were 4.61 l/h (36%) for apparent clearance (CL/F) and 63.2 l (70%) for apparent distribution volume. Body weight was found to explain the interindividual variability of lopinavir CL/F. Probability to achieve the 1 mg/l target C(trough) was >96% for the twice-daily dose and comprised between 80% and 90% for the once-daily dose. The probability to achieve the 4 and 5.7 mg/l target C(troughs) with the twice-daily dose significantly decreased when body weight increased (from 76% to 61% and from 56% to 37% respectively, for body weights increasing from 50 to 90 kg). CONCLUSIONS These results support lopinavir therapeutic drug monitoring and the use of higher lopinavir doses for PI-pretreated patients.