Terezinha do Menino Jesus Silva Leitão

Disseminated histoplasmosis in HIV-infected patients in South America: a neglected killer continues on its rampage.

HIV/AIDS is not a neglected disease. Histoplasmosis is not considered a neglected disease in North America. However, in South America, it should be. It often affects neglected populations and represents a lethal blind spot of the HIV/AIDS data collection systems. Counts of new AIDS cases and AIDS-related deaths are useful to follow the epidemic; however, they overlook the exact cause of death. In the context of the South American pathogen ecology, the systemic mycosis due to Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum is probably on the top of the list of AIDS-defining illnesses and AIDS-related deaths [1], yet it is mostly undiagnosed and is not even on the diagnostic algorithm used by a significant proportion of clinicians facing a febrile, severely immunodepressed patient in the region.

Disseminated histoplasmosis and aids: relapse and late mortality in endemic area in north-eastern Brazil

The State of Ceará in north‐eastern Brazil has one of the highest rates in the world of relapse and death due to disseminated histoplasmosis (DH) in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. The objective of this study is to characterise the relapse and mortality of DH in AIDS cases residents in Ceará. We performed a retrospective analysis of the medical records of AIDS patients who had a first episode of DH from 2002 to 2008. We analysed the outcomes until December 31, 2010. A total of 145 patients participated in the study. The mean clinical follow‐up duration was 3.38 years (SD = 2.2; 95% CI = 3.01–3.75). The majority of the subjects were male with a mean age of 35 years (SD = 2.2; 95% CI = 3.01–3.75) and were born in the capital of Ceará. DH was the first manifestation of AIDS in 59% of the patients. The relapse rate was 23.3%, with a disseminated presentation in 90% of these patients. The overall mortality during the study period was 30.2%. The majority of patients who relapsed or died had irregular treatment with antifungals or highly active antiretroviral therapy and did not have active clinical follow‐up. High rates of recurrence and mortality were found in AIDS‐associated DH in this area of the country.

Prevalence of bipolar disorder in a HIV-infected outpatient population

This study assesses the prevalence of bipolar disorder (BD) among 196 HIV-infected adult outpatients attending in a specialized unit in Fortaleza, Brazil. Patients were interviewed with the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and a socio-demographic questionnaire based on WHOs behavioral surveillance surveys. Positive MDQ screening was found in 13.2% (N=26) and the BD diagnosis was confirmed in 8.1% (N=16) of the sample. There is an almost four times higher prevalence of BD among the HIV-infected patients of the sample (8.1%) than in the general population from the USA (2.1%). The prevalence of BD type I in the HIV patients was 5.6% (N=11) which is almost six times higher than the US general population (1%). The odds ratios of sexual behaviors and substance abuse variables correlated with BD were calculated. The variables associated with the diagnoses of BD were sex with commercial partners, sex outside the primary relationship, alcohol use disorders, and illicit drug abuse. The most common psychiatric comorbidity in the BD group was substance abuse (61.5%). A better understanding of psychiatric comorbidities and behavioral aspects of HIV-positive patients may help in improving long-term outcome of these patients.This study assesses the prevalence of bipolar disorder (BD) among 196 HIV-infected adult outpatients attending in a specialized unit in Fortaleza, Brazil. Patients were interviewed with the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and a socio-demographic questionnaire based on WHOs behavioral surveillance surveys. Positive MDQ screening was found in 13.2% (N=26) and the BD diagnosis was confirmed in 8.1% (N=16) of the sample. There is an almost four times higher prevalence of BD among the HIV-infected patients of the sample (8.1%) than in the general population from the USA (2.1%). The prevalence of BD type I in the HIV patients was 5.6% (N=11) which is almost six times higher than the US general population (1%). The odds ratios of sexual behaviors and substance abuse variables correlated with BD were calculated. The variables associated with the diagnoses of BD were sex with commercial partners, se...

HIV-positive women in northeast Brazil: Tubal sterilization, medical recommendation and reproductive rights

Abstract Tubal sterilization is the most common contraceptive method used by Brazilian HIV-positive women. This cross sectional study describes the main reasons why HIV-positive women decide to be sterilized and identifies factors associated with choosing sterilization in HIV-positive women in Ceará, northeast Brazil. Data from 229 non-sterilized women, 80 women sterilized before HIV diagnosis and 48 women sterilized after diagnosis were analysed. Of the women sterilized after HIV diagnosis, 96% had the procedure done in the postpartum, during a caesarean section. No desire for more children was the most common appointed reason to be sterilized (39.6%), followed by medical recommendation because of HIV (31.3%). Seventy-nine women (28.5%) had a child after HIV diagnosis. Of those, 46 (58.2%) were sterilized in the postpartum. Factors associated with sterilization for HIV-positive women were: having a child after diagnosis (AOR: 120.9; 95%CI: 27.8–525.4) and having at least three children (AOR: 2.8; 95%CI: 1.1–7.1). It is recommended that non-coercive counselling should be provided so that HIV-positive women can make informed decisions on their reproductive options.

Disseminated histoplasmosis in HIV‐infected patients: determinants of relapse and mortality in a north‐eastern area of Brazil

Many relapses and deaths resulting from disseminated histoplasmosis (DH) in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients have been observed in an endemic area in north‐eastern Brazil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with the clinical outcomes of DH/AIDS coinfection in patients from the state of Ceará, Brazil. A retrospective cohort of AIDS patients, after their hospital discharge due to first DH episode in the period 2002–2008, was followed until December 31, 2010, to investigate the factors associated with relapse and mortality. A total of 145 patients were evaluated in the study. Thirty patients (23.3%) relapsed and the overall mortality was 30.2%. The following variables were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with relapse and overall mortality (univariate analysis): non‐adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), irregular use of an antifungal, non‐recovery of the CD4+ count and having AIDS before DH; histoplasmosis relapse was also significantly associated with mortality. In the multivariate analysis, non‐adherence to HAART was the independent risk factor that was associated with both relapse (Adj OR = 6.28) and overall mortality (Adj OR = 8.03); efavirenz usage was discovered to be significant only for the overall mortality rate (Adj OR = 4.50). Adherence to HAART was the most important variable that influenced the outcomes in this specific population.

Fatores associados à tuberculose pulmonar em pacientes que procuraram serviços de saúde de referência para tuberculose

OBJECTIVE The identification of behavioral and clinical factors that are associated with pulmonary tuberculosis might improve the detection and treatment of the disease, thereby reducing its duration and transmission. Our objective was to identify sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral factors that are associated with the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study conducted between April of 2008 and March of 2009 at three health care clinics in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil. We selected 233 patients older than 14 years of age who spontaneously sought medical attention and presented with cough for > 2 weeks. Sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral data were collected. Sputum smear microscopy for AFB and mycobacterial culture were also carried out, as were tuberculin skin tests and chest X-rays. The patients were divided into two groups (with and without pulmonary tuberculosis). The categorical variables were compared by the chi-square test, followed by logistic regression analysis when the variables were considered significant. RESULTS The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis was 41.2%. The unadjusted OR showed that the following variables were statistically significant risk factors for pulmonary tuberculosis: fever (OR = 2.39; 95% CI, 1.34-4.30), anorexia (OR = 3.69; 95% CI, 2.03-6.75), and weight loss (OR = 3.37; 95% CI, 1.76-6.62). In the multivariate analysis, only weight loss (OR = 3.31; 95% CI, 1.78-6.14) was significantly associated with pulmonary tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS In areas with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, weight loss could be used as an indicator of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with chronic cough for > 2 weeks.

The use of genetic markers in the molecular epidemiology of histoplasmosis: a systematic review

Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, a dimorphic fungal pathogen that can infect both humans and animals. This disease has worldwide distribution and affects mainly immunocompromised individuals. In the environment, H. capsulatum grows as mold but undergoes a morphologic transition to the yeast morphotype under special conditions. Molecular techniques are important tools to conduct epidemiologic investigations for fungal detection, identification of infection sources, and determination of different fungal genotypes associated to a particular disease symptom. In this study, we performed a systematic review in the PubMed database to improve the understanding about the molecular epidemiology of histoplasmosis. This search was restricted to English and Spanish articles. We included a combination of specific keywords: molecular typing [OR] genetic diversity [OR] polymorphism [AND] H. capsulatum; molecular epidemiology [AND] histoplasmosis; and molecular epidemiology [AND] Histoplasma. In addition, we used the specific terms: histoplasmosis [AND] outbreaks. Non-English or non-Spanish articles, dead links, and duplicate results were excluded from the review. The results reached show that the main methods used for molecular typing of H. capsulatum were: restriction fragment length polymorphism, random amplified polymorphic DNA, microsatellites polymorphism, sequencing of internal transcribed spacers region, and multilocus sequence typing. Different genetic profiles were identified among H. capsulatum isolates, which can be grouped according to their source, geographical origin, and clinical manifestations.

HISTOPLASMIN SURVEY IN HIV-POSITIVE PATIENTS: RESULTS FROM AN ENDEMIC AREA IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

SUMMARY Background. Disseminated histoplasmosis is common in AIDS patients with advanced immunosuppression in Ceara, Northeastern Brazil. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of Histoplasma infection in patients with HIV/AIDS living in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceara. Methods. Intradermal tests with histoplasmin (mycelial phase) were performed in 161 HIV patients with CD4 ≥ 350 cells/mm 3 . Evidence of recent illness was evaluated with immunodiffusion (ID) tests in 76 of these individuals. Results. A total of 11.8% of patients reacted to histoplasmin and 2.63% had ID test positive to Histoplasma. The presence of mango trees (Mangifera indica) in the patient neighborhood (OR = 2.870; 95% CI = 1.081-7.617; p = 0.040) and past activity involving soil (OR = 2.834; 95% CI = 1.045-7.687; p = 0.045) or visits to a farm (OR = 3.869; 95% CI = 1.189-12.591; p = 0.033) were significantly associated with Histoplasma infection. Conclusions. Patients with HIV living in Fortaleza have an expressive prevalence of infection with Histoplasma.

Bacillary angiomatosis in HIV-positive patient from Northeastern Brazil: a case report

It is a report of disseminated bacillary angiomatosis (BA) in a 23-year-old female patient, who is HIV-positive and with fever, weight loss, hepatomegaly, ascites, and papular-nodular skin lesions. The clinical and diagnostic aspects involved in the case were discussed. Bacillary angiomatosis must always be considered in the diagnosis of febrile cutaneous manifestations in AIDS.

Salmonella typhi Liver Abscess Overlying a Metastatic Melanoma

Pyogenic liver abscesses caused by Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi, although rare, can occur especially in patients with pre-existing hepatobiliary disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and metastatic liver tumors. We present a case of Salmonella liver abscesses complicating metastatic melanoma in a 24-year-old alcoholic male.