Evaluation of a Particle Gel Immunoassay as a Screening Test for Syphilis

Lipodystrophy among HIV-Infected Patients Attending Care and Treatment Clinics in Dar es Salaam

Background

HIV infection and long-term HAART use are associated with metabolic and morphological changes. We assessed prevalence, types, and risk factors associated with lipodystrophy among HIV-infected adults attending CTC in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Methods

Analysis included 466 HIV-infected patients. Study protocol involved administration of structured questionnaire to collect sociodemographic and clinical information. Diagnosis of lipodystrophy was based on physician clinical assessment.

Results

Lipodystrophy was present in 95 (20.4%) of the study participants, with lipoatrophy being the most common (49.5%) followed by mixed lipodystrophy (37.9%), and lipohypertrophy was the least prevalent (12.6%). Male gender, older age, long duration on HAART, and use of Stavudine containing regimen were associated with lipodystrophy (all p < 0.05). The risk for lipodystrophy was 1.6 times (AOR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.01-2.72) for male participants and 13.3 times (AOR = 13.3, 95% CI = 6.4-27.7) for those on HAART. Long duration on HAART and use of Stavudine containing regimen were also associated with increased risk for lipodystrophy. Lipodystrophy was associated with poor perception about own body image and decreased social interactions.

Conclusions

Lipodystrophy is common among HIV-infected patients in Tanzania, especially among male patients and those on HAART. Regular screening, monitoring, and patient awareness are needed for early identification and appropriate management.

Performance evaluation of the Elecsys syphilis assay for the detection of total antibodies to Treponema pallidum

Syphilis is a health problem of increasing incidence in recent years that may have severe complications if not diagnosed and treated at an early stage. There are many diagnostic tests available for syphilis, but there is no gold standard, and diagnosis therefore usually relies upon a combination of tests. In this multicenter study, we evaluated the treponemal Elecsys syphilis assay for use in the diagnosis of syphilis in routine samples, i.e., when syphilis is suspected or during antenatal or blood donation screening. The sensitivity and specificity of the Elecsys syphilis assay were compared head to head with those of other treponemal assays used in routine clinical practice and were assessed in potentially cross-reactive samples from patients with Epstein-Barr virus, HIV, and Lyme disease. In a total of 8,063 syphilis-negative samples collected from routine diagnostic requests and blood donations, the Elecsys syphilis assay had a specificity of 99.88%. In 928 samples previously identified as syphilis positive, the sensitivity was 99.57 to 100% (the result is presented as a range depending on whether four initially indeterminate samples are included in the assessment). The specificity of the Elecsys syphilis assay in patients with other infections was 100%; no false-positive samples were identified.