by
Poonum S. Korpe;
Rashidul Haque;
Carol Gilchrist;
Cristian Valencia;
Feiyang Niu;
Miao Lu;
Jennie Z. Ma;
Sarah E. Petri;
Daniel Reichman;
Mamun Kabir;
Priya Duggal;
William A. Petri
Background: Cryptosporidiosis is a common cause of infectious diarrhea in young children worldwide, and is a significant contributor to under-five mortality. Current treatment options are limited in young children. In this study, we describe the natural history of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in a birth cohort of children in Bangladesh and evaluate for association with malnutrition.
Methodology/Principal Findings: This is a longitudinal birth cohort study of 392 slum-dwelling Bangladeshi children followed over the first two years of life from 2008 to 2014. Children were monitored for diarrheal disease, and stool was tested for intestinal protozoa. Anthropometric measurements were taken at 3-month intervals. A subset of Cryptosporidium positive stools were genotyped for species and revealed that C. hominis was isolated from over 90% of samples. In the first two years of life, 77% of children experienced at least one infection with Cryptosporidium spp. Non-diarrheal infection (67%) was more common than diarrheal infection (6.3%) although 27% of children had both types of infection. Extreme poverty was associated with higher rates of infection (chi-square, 49.7% vs 33.3%, p = 0.006). Malnutrition was common in this cohort, 56% of children had stunted growth by age two. Children with Cryptosporidium spp. infection had a greater than 2-fold increased risk of severe stunting at age two compared to uninfected children (odds ratio 2.69, 95% CI 1.17, 6.15, p = 0.019) independent of sex, income, maternal body-mass index, maternal education and weight for age adjusted z (WAZ) score at birth.
Conclusions/Significance: Cryptosporidium infection is common (77%) in this cohort of slum-dwelling Bangladeshi children, and both non-diarrheal and diarrheal infections are significantly associated with a child’s growth at 2 years of age.
by
Sylvia Becker-Dreps;
Paul D Brewer-Jensen;
Fredman Gonzalez;
Yaoska Reyes;
Michael L Mallory;
Lester Gutierrez;
Nadja A Vielot;
Marta Diez-Valcarce;
Jan Vinje;
Ralph S Baric;
Lisa C Lindesmith;
Filemon Bucardo
A birth cohort design was used to understand whether heterotypic ligand-blocking norovirus antibodies provide cross-protection within the GII genogroup. We found that almost one-half of children who experienced a norovirus GII episode had preexisting antibodies heterotypic to the infecting genotype; therefore, these antibodies did not provide cross-protection.
by
Engi F. Attia;
Kathleen A. McGinnis;
Laura C. Feemster;
Kathleen M. Akgün;
Adeel A. Butt;
Christopher J. Graber;
Michael J. Fine;
Matthew Bidwell Goetz;
Maria C. Rodriguez-Barradas;
Margaret A. Pisani;
Hilary A. Tindle;
Sheldon T. Brown;
Guy W. Soo Hoo;
David Rimland;
Cynthia L. Gibert;
Laurence Huang;
Matthew S. Freiberg;
Catherine L. Hough;
Kristina Crothers
Background: Pulmonary infections remain more common in HIV-infected (HIV+) compared to uninfected individuals. The increase in chronic lung diseases among aging HIV+ individuals may contribute to this persistent risk. We sought to determine whether chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an independent risk factor for different pulmonary infections requiring hospitalization among HIV+ patients.
Methods: We analyzed data from 41,993 HIV+ Veterans in the nationwide Veterans Aging Cohort Study Virtual Cohort (VACS-VC) from 1996–2009. Using ICD-9 codes, we identified baseline comorbid conditions, including COPD, and incident community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) requiring hospitalization within two years after baseline. We used multivariable Poisson regression to determine incidence rate ratios (IRR) associated with COPD for each type of pulmonary infection, adjusting for comorbidities, CD4+ cell count, HIV viral load, smoking status, substance use, vaccinations and calendar year at baseline.
Results: Unadjusted incidence rates of CAP, TB and PCP requiring hospitalization were significantly higher among persons with COPD compared to those without COPD (CAP: 53.9 vs. 19.4 per 1,000 person-years; TB: 8.7 vs. 2.8; PCP: 15.5 vs. 9.2; p ≤0.001). In multivariable Poisson regression models, COPD was independently associated with increased risk of CAP, TB and PCP (IRR 1.94, 95% CI 1.64–2.30; IRR 2.60, 95% CI 1.70–3.97; and IRR 1.48, 95% CI 1.10–2.01, respectively).
Conclusions: COPD is an independent risk factor for CAP, TB and PCP requiring hospitalization among HIV+ individuals. As the HIV+ population ages, the growing burden of COPD may confer substantial risk for pulmonary infections.
Leprosy is a chronic infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae that affects the peripheral nerves, skin, and potentially other organs [1]–[5]. Although the worldwide prevalence of leprosy has decreased in the era of multi-drug therapy (MDT), the global detection of new cases of leprosy remains a concern, with more than 250,000 new cases of leprosy reported in 2007 [3]. The precise mechanism of transmission of leprosy has not been conclusively defined; however, it is likely that this occurs through respiratory secretions by untreated borderline lepromatous and polar lepromatous cases [1],[5]. Target cells of infection are macrophages, histiocytes in the skin, and the nonmyelinating and myelinating Schwann cells in the peripheral nerve, leading to axonal dysfunction and demyelination [6]. Nerve injury plays a central role in the pathogenesis of leprosy, leading to functional impairment and deformity of hands and feet and the eyes [1],[6]. Leprosy is diagnosed by definite loss of sensation in a hypopigmented or reddish skin patch, a thickened peripheral nerve with loss of sensation and muscle weakness in the affected nerve, and presence of acid-fast bacilli on skin smear or biopsy [1],[4].
The immunological response to M. leprae mounted by the host will determine the different potential clinical states. The Ridley-Joplin system uses clinical and histopathological features and the bacteriologic index and includes the polar categories (lepromatous [LL] and tuberculoid [TT]) and the borderline states (borderline tuberculoid [BT], borderline borderline [BB], and borderline lepromatous [BL]) [1] (Table 1). In the polar tuberculoid category, a Th1 type cell–mediated immune response with a low bacterial load is seen. Lepromatous states are characterized by low cell-mediated immunity and a higher bacterial load [5] (Table 1). Clinically, patients with tuberculoid leprosy have a single or very few hypopigmented macules or plaques with a raised edge; they are dry, scaly, hairless, and have reduced sensation; and only a few peripheral nerves are commonly enlarged [1]. Lepromatous leprosy is characterized by widely and symmetrically distributed skin macules, nodules, erythematous papules, and diffuse skin infiltration; thickened peripheral nerves are more frequently identified. Borderline states represent a mixture of signs and symptoms of the polar categories [1].
Objective. To evaluate whether HIV infected pregnant women with concomitant sexually transmitted infection (STIs) are at increased risk of adverse perinatal and neonatal outcomes. Methods. We conducted a cohort study of HIV positive women who delivered at an inner-city hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, from 2003 to 2013. Demographics, presence of concomitant STIs, prenatal care information, and maternal and neonatal outcomes were collected. The outcomes examined were the association of the presence of concomitant STIs on the risk of preterm birth (PTB), postpartum hemorrhage, chorioamnionitis, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, small for gestational age, low Apgar scores, and neonatal intensive care admission. Multiple logistic regression was performed to adjust for potential confounders. Results. HIV positive pregnant women with concomitant STIs had an increased risk of spontaneous PTB (odds ratio (OR) 2.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-3.97). After adjusting for a history of preterm birth, maternal age, and low CD4+ count at prenatal care entry the association between concomitant STIs and spontaneous PTB persisted (adjusted OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.01-3.78). Conclusions. HIV infected pregnant women with concomitant STIs relative to HIV positive pregnant women without a concomitant STI are at increased risk of spontaneous PTB.
by
Julie A. Womack;
Terrence E. Murphy;
Harini Bathulapalli;
Kathleen M. Akgun;
Cynthia Gibert;
Ken M. Kunisaki;
David Rimland;
Maria Rodriguez-Barradas;
H. Klar Yaggi;
Amy C. Justice;
Nancy S. Redeker
Background
One percent to 8% of patients undergoing spinal instrumentation surgeries develop infections. There is no consensus on the medical and surgical management of these infections.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective chart review based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, and Common Procedural Terminology codes relevant to spinal infections with hardware within Emory Healthcare over a 10-year period. Extracted data included patient demographics, clinical presentation, laboratory and microbiologic results, and surgical and medical management including choice and duration of suppressive therapy. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association of length of use of suppressive antibiotics with treatment success and to identify predictors of use of suppressive antibiotics.
Results
Of 869 records, 124 met inclusion criteria. Fifty patients (40.3%) had an infection that occurred after hardware placement, mostly within 3 months postsurgery, while the remainder had vertebral osteomyelitis that required hardware placement. After initial intravenous antibiotic treatment for ≥4 weeks, 72 patients (64.5%) were given suppressive antibiotics. The overall treatment success rate was 78.2%. In spinal infections involving hardware with gram-negative rods, patients were less likely to receive suppressive antibiotics, less likely to have hardware removed, and less likely to have treatment success compared with patients with infections with Staphylococcus species.
Conclusions
Management of spinal infections involving hardware should be tailored to the timing of onset of infection and causative organism. Further studies are needed to determine best management practices, particularly for gram-negative rod infections where the role of further suppressive antibiotics and hardware removal may be warranted.
Background: We examined differences in mortality among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the first, second, and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of COVID-19 cases in Fulton County, Georgia, USA, reported to a public health surveillance from March 2020 through February 2021. We estimated case-fatality rates (CFR) by wave and used Cox proportional hazards random-effects models in each wave, with random effects at individual and long-term-care-facility level, to determine risk factors associated with rates of mortality. Results: Of 75 289 confirmed cases, 4490 (6%) were diagnosed in wave 1 (CFR 31 deaths/100 000 person days [pd]), 24 293 (32%) in wave 2 (CFR 7 deaths/100 000 pd), and 46 506 (62%) in wave 3 (CFR 9 deaths/100 000 pd). Compared with females, males were more likely to die in each wave: Wave 1 (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-1.8), wave 2 (aHR 1.5, 95% CI, 1.2-1.8), and wave 3 (aHR 1.7, 95% CI, 1.5-2.0). Compared with non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks were more likely to die in each wave: Wave 1 (aHR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.8), wave 2 (aHR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2-1.9), and wave 3 (aHR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.4-2.0). Cases with any disability, chronic renal disease, and cardiovascular disease were more likely to die in each wave compared with those without these comorbidities. Conclusions: Our study found gender and racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19 mortality and certain comorbidities associated with COVID-19 mortality. These factors have persisted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic waves, despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment.
by
Jessica Merlin;
Jeffrey H. Samet;
Debbie M. Cheng;
Marlene C. Lira;
Judith I. Tsui;
Leah S. Forman;
Jonathan Colasanti;
Alexander Y. Walley;
Carlos del Rio;
Jane M. Liebschutz
Background: Medical marijuana is legal in 29 US states and the District of Columbia: both HIV and chronic pain are "approved conditions" for receipt. Chronic pain is common among people living with HIV (PLWH). We anticipate PLWH will question their providers about medical marijuana for chronic pain. We examined marijuana use and its associations with pain, opioid dose, and HIV viral suppression among PLWH receiving chronic opioid therapy. Methods: PLWH prescribed chronic opioid therapy were recruited into the Targeting Effective Analgesia in Clinics for HIV cohort. The main exposure variable was any past 12-month marijuana use. The primary outcomes were (1) opioid misuse (≥9 on the Current Opioid Misuse Measure) and (2) opioid dose (morphine equivalent daily dose). HIV viral load (VL) suppression (<200 copies/L) and pain severity and interference using the Brief Pain Inventory were exploratory outcomes. Results: Participants (n = 166) were men (65%), Black (72%), and had an undetectable VL (89%). We found no significant association between current marijuana use and opioid misuse, opioid dose, or pain. Current marijuana use was associated with 3.03 times the odds of having a detectable VL (95% odds ratio: 1.11-8.31, P = 0.03) while controlling for depressive symptoms and other substance use.Discussion: We did not detect an association between marijuana use and opioid misuse behaviors, opioid dose, or pain. In an exploratory analysis, current marijuana use was associated with 3× greater odds of having a detectable VL. This study provides insights into potential consequences of marijuana use among PLWH with chronic pain.
by
Suzanne M. Ingle;
Margaret T. May;
M. John Gill;
Michael J. Mugavero;
Charlotte Lewden;
Sophie Abgrall;
Gerd Faetkenheuer;
Peter Reiss;
Michael S. Saag;
Christian Manzardo;
Sophie Grabar;
Mathias Bruyand;
David Moore;
Amanda Mocroft;
Timothy R. Sterling;
Antonella d'Arminio Monforte;
Victoria Hernando;
Ramon Teira;
Jodie L. Guest;
Matthias Cavassini;
Heidi M. Crane;
Jonathan A.C. Sterne
Background. Patterns of cause-specific mortality in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are changing dramatically in the era of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods. Sixteen cohorts from Europe and North America contributed data on adult patients followed from the start of ART. Procedures for coding causes of death were standardized. Estimated hazard ratios (HRs) were adjusted for transmission risk group, sex, age, year of ART initiation, baseline CD4 count, viral load, and AIDS status, before and after the first year of ART. Results. A total of 4237 of 65 121 (6.5%) patients died (median, 4.5 years follow-up). Rates of AIDS death decreased substantially with time since starting ART, but mortality from non-AIDS malignancy increased (rate ratio, 1.04 per year; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-1.1). Higher mortality in men than women during the first year of ART was mostly due to non-AIDS malignancy and liver-related deaths. Associations with age were strongest for cardiovascular disease, heart/vascular, and malignancy deaths. Patients with presumed transmission through injection drug use had higher rates of all causes of death, particularly for liver-related causes (HRs compared with men who have sex with men: 18.1 [95% CI, 6.2-52.7] during the first year of ART and 9.1 [95% CI, 5.8-14.2] thereafter). There was a persistent role of CD4 count at baseline and at 12 months in predicting AIDS, non-AIDS infection, and non-AIDS malignancy deaths. Lack of viral suppression on ART was associated with AIDS, non-AIDS infection, and other causes of death. Conclusions. Better understanding of patterns of and risk factors for cause-specific mortality in the ART era can aid in development of appropriate care for HIV-infected individuals and inform guidelines for risk factor management.