Mitchell I. Wolfe

Trends in perimortal conditions and mortality rates among HIV-infected patients.

Objectives:To describe trends in perimortal conditions (pathological conditions causing death or present at death but not necessarily the reported cause of death) during three periods related to the availability of HAART, pre-HAART (1992–1995), early HAART (1996–1999), and contemporary HAART (2000–2003); annual mortality rates; and antiretroviral therapy (ART) prevalence during 1992–2003. Design:Multicenter observational clinical cohort in the United States (Adult/Adolescent Spectrum of HIV Disease [ASD] project). Methods:Proportionate mortality for selected perimortal conditions, annual mortality rates, and ART prevalence were standardized by sex, race/ethnicity, age at death, HIV transmission category, and lowest CD4 cell count of ASD decedents. Multivariable generalized linear regression was used to estimate trends in proportionate mortality, as linear trends through all three HAART periods, mortality rates, and ART prevalence. Results:Of 9225 deaths, 58.6% occurred during 1992–1995, 29.5% during 1996–1999, and 11.9% during 2000–2003. Linear trends in proportionate mortality for noninfectious diseases (e.g., liver disease, hypertension, and alcohol abuse) increased significantly; proportionate mortality for AIDS-defining infectious diseases (e.g., pneumocystosis, nontuberculous mycobacterial disease, and cytomegalovirus disease) decreased significantly. Mortality rates decreased from 487.5/1000 person-years in 1995 to 100.6 in 2002. Of 36 256 patients from ASD, 75.7% (standardized average) were prescribed ART annually. Conclusions:Among HIV-infected patients, the majority of whom were prescribed ART, the increasing trend in common noninfectious perimortal conditions support screening and treatment for these conditions in order to sustain the trend in declining mortality rates.

Improving the Representativeness of Behavioral and Clinical Surveillance for Persons with HIV in the United States: The Rationale for Developing a Population-Based Approach

The need for a new surveillance approach to understand the clinical outcomes and behaviors of people in care for HIV evolved from the new challenges for monitoring clinical outcomes in the HAART era, the impact of the epidemic on an increasing number of areas in the US, and the need for representative data to describe the epidemic and related resource utilization and needs. The Institute of Medicine recommended that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Heath Resources and Services Administration coordinate efforts to survey a random sample of HIV-infected persons in care, in order to more accurately measure the need for prevention and care services. The Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) was created to meet these needs. This manuscript describes the evolution and design of MMP, a new nationally representative clinical outcomes and behavioral surveillance system, and describes how MMP data will be used locally and nationally to identify care and treatment utilization needs, and to plan for prevention interventions and services.

Effectiveness of 23-valent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine on pneumonia in HIV-infected adults in the United States, 1998-2003

Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV-23) has been recommended for HIV-infected adults. We investigated factors that could influence PPV-23 effectiveness against all-cause pneumonia in a longitudinal cohort of 23,255 HIV-infected adults receiving care during 1998--2003. Patients who received PPV-23 had a lower rate of pneumonia (IRR = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.8-0.9) than patients who had never been vaccinated, independent of recent CD4 count, HIV viral load, antiretroviral therapy, and history of pneumonia. However, PPV-23 provided no benefit when patients were vaccinated at HIV viral load > 100,000 copies/ml, irrespective of CD4 count at vaccination. Receipt of PPV-23 was associated with lower incidence of all-cause pneumonia.

Reasons for Lack of Appropriate Receipt of Primary Pneumocystis jiroveci Pneumonia Prophylaxis among HIV-Infected Persons Receiving Treatment in the United States: 1994–2003

Despite widespread availability of effective prophylaxis, Pneumocystis jiroveci (formerly carinii) pneumonia (PCP) continues to cause substantial morbidity among HIV-infected persons [ 14]. The US Healthy People 2010 goal is for 95% of eligible persons to receive prophylaxis to prevent the occurrence of PCP [5]. Guidelines for PCP prophylaxis have evolved with advancements in treatment [6]. Since 1995, recommendations from the US Public Health Service and Infectious Diseases Society of America for HIV-infected persons include chemoprophylaxis against primary PCP for persons with a CD4 cell count <200 cells/,uL or a history of oral candidiasis [7]. PCP prophylaxis can be discontinued after immune reconstitution associated

Call-tracking data and the public health response to bioterrorism-related anthrax.

After public notification of confirmed cases of bioterrorism-related anthrax, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emergency Operations Center responded to 11,063 bioterrorism-related telephone calls from October 8 to November 11, 2001. Most calls were inquiries from the public about anthrax vaccines (58.4%), requests for general information on bioterrorism prevention (14.8%), and use of personal protective equipment (12.0%); 882 telephone calls (8.0%) were referred to the state liaison team for follow-up investigation. Of these, 226 (25.6%) included reports of either illness clinically confirmed to be compatible with anthrax or direct exposure to an environment known to be contaminated with Bacillus anthracis. The remaining 656 (74.4%) included no confirmed illness but reported exposures to “suspicious” packages or substances or the receipt of mail through a contaminated facility. Emergency response staff must handle high call volumes following suspected or actual bioterrorist attacks. Standardized health communication protocols that address contact with unknown substances, handling of suspicious mail, and clinical evaluation of suspected cases would allow more efficient follow-up investigations of clinically compatible cases in high-risk groups.

Surveillance of Transmitted HIV Drug Resistance Using Matched Plasma and Dried Blood Spot Specimens From Voluntary Counseling and Testing Sites in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2007–2008

During 2007-2008, surveillance of transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drug resistance (TDR) was performed following World Health Organization guidance among clients with newly diagnosed HIV infection attending voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) sites in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Moderate (5%-15%) TDR to nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) was observed among VCT clients aged 18-21 years. Follow-up surveillance of TDR in HCMC and other geographic regions of Vietnam is warranted. Data generated will guide the national HIV drug resistance surveillance strategy and support selection of current and future first-line antiretroviral therapy and HIV prevention programs.

Assessment of urinary metals following exposure to a large vegetative fire, New Mexico, 2000

Introduction: In May 2000, a vegetative fire burned 47,000 acres in northern New Mexico, including 7500 acres of land administered by the Los Alamos National Laboratory. We evaluated potential human exposures from the fire. Methods: We surveyed two populations (firefighters and the general population) in four cities for urine heavy metal concentrations. Reference concentrations were based on the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Multivariate linear regression assessed the association of urinary metal concentrations with smoke exposure. We also performed isotopic analysis of uranium and cesium on a subset of specimens. Results: A total of 92 firefighters and 135 nonfirefighters participated. In both populations, urinary nickel, cesium, chromium, and uranium concentrations were greater than expected compared with NHANES III reference values. No values required immediate medical follow-up. Regression analysis demonstrated that for National Guard members, arsenic and cadmium levels were significantly related to smoke exposure, and for firefighters, cesium and arsenic levels were significantly related to exposure; however, only for cesium in National Guard members was this association in the positive direction. Isotopic analysis demonstrated that the cesium and uranium were naturally occurring. Conclusions: Some people had spot urine metal concentrations above nationally derived reference values, and values for some metals were associated with smoke exposure. These associations had little public health or clinical importance. Studies of exposures resulting from vegetative fires are difficult, and careful consideration should be given to the technical and communication processes at the outset of a fire exposure investigation. Recommendations for future investigations include testing as soon as possible during or after a fire, and early clinical consultation with a medical toxicologist.

Discontinuation of Primary Prophylaxis against Mycobacterium avium Complex Infection in HIV-Infected Persons Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy: Observations from a Large National Cohort in the United States, 1992–2002

In a large, diverse cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons receiving routine care, the proportion of eligible persons who discontinued primary prophylaxis against Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection, according to guidelines of the US Public Health Service and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, increased from 16.7% (in 1996) to 84.9% (in 2002). The discontinuation of primary prophylaxis was not associated with an increased risk of disseminated MAC infection.

Diverse HIV epidemics among people who inject drugs in Thailand: Evidence from respondent-driven sampling surveys in Bangkok and Chiang Mai ☆

BACKGROUND Thailands long-standing HIV sero-sentinel surveillance system for people who inject drugs (PWID) is confined to those in methadone-based drug treatment clinics and representative data are scarce, especially outside of Bangkok. METHODS We conducted probability-based respondent-driven sampling (RDS) surveys in Bangkok (n=738) and Chiang Mai (n=309) to increase understanding of local HIV epidemics and to better inform the planning of evidence-based interventions. RESULTS PWID had different epidemiological profiles in these two cities. Overall HIV prevalence was higher in Bangkok (23.6% vs. 10.9%, p<0.001) but PWID in Bangkok are older and appear to have long-standing HIV infections. In Chiang Mai, HIV infections appear to be more recently acquired and PWID were younger and had higher levels of recent injecting and sexual risk behaviors with lower levels of intervention exposure. Methamphetamine was the predominant drug injected in both sites and polydrug use was common although levels and patterns of the specific drugs injected varied significantly between the sites. In multivariate analysis, recent midazolam injection was significantly associated with HIV infection in Chiang Mai (adjusted odds ratio=8.1; 95% confidence interval: 1.2-54.5) whereas in Bangkok HIV status was not associated with recent risk behaviors as infections had likely been acquired in the past. CONCLUSION PWID epidemics in Thailand are heterogeneous and driven by local factors. There is a need to customize intervention strategies for PWID in different settings and to integrate population-based survey methods such as RDS into routine surveillance to monitor the national response.

Assessment of a couples HIV counseling and testing program for pregnant women and their partners in antenatal care (ANC) in 7 provinces, Thailand

BackgroundCouples HIV testing and counseling (CHTC) at antenatal care (ANC) settings allows pregnant women to learn the HIV status of themselves and their partners. Couples can make decisions together to prevent HIV transmission. In Thailand, men were tested at ANC settings only if their pregnant partners were HIV positive. A CHTC program based in ANC settings was developed and implemented at 16 pilot hospitals in 7 provinces during 2009–2010.MethodsCross-sectional data were collected using standard data collection forms from all pregnant women and accompanying partners who presented at first ANC visit at 16 hospitals. CHTC data for women and partners were analyzed to determine service uptake and HIV test results among couples. In-depth interviews were conducted among hospital staff of participating hospitals during field supervision visits to assess feasibility and acceptability of CHTC services.ResultsDuring October 2009-April 2010, 4,524 women initiating ANC were enrolled. Of these, 2,435 (54%) women came for ANC alone; 2,089 (46%) came with partners. Among men presenting with partners, 2,003 (96%) received couples counseling. Of these, 1,723 (86%) men and all pregnant women accepted HIV testing. Among 1,723 couples testing for HIV, 1,604 (93%) returned for test results. Of these, 1,567 (98%) were concordant negative, 6 (0.4%) were concordant positive and 17 (1%) were HIV discordant (7 male+/female- and 10 male-/female+). Nine of ten (90%) executive hospital staff reported high acceptability of CHTC services.ConclusionsCHTC implemented in ANC settings helps identify more HIV-positive men whose partners were negative than previous practice, with high acceptability among hospital staff.