Cytomegalovirus Retinitis in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART)

Diabetes in People with HIV

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To discuss the diagnosis, treatment, and complications of diabetes in people with HIV (PWH) and to review HIV-related factors that may contribute to the development of diabetes or alter decisions in the care and treatment of PWH with diabetes.

RECENT FINDINGS

For those patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and/or chronic kidney disease, GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors should be considered for use. Evidence for this recommendation is, however, based on studies that were not conducted in populations consisting solely of PWH. Diabetes is a significant comorbidity in PWH and adds to their already heightened risk of cardiovascular disease. HIV-specific factors, including interactions of antiretroviral therapy with medications that either treat diabetes and/or prevent cardiovascular disease, should be evaluated.

Clinical Features and CD4+ T Cells Count in AIDS Patients with CMV Retinitis: Correlation with Mortality

PURPOSE

To explore the all-cause mortality in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of patients with CMV retinitis (CMVR) presented to a tertiary referral center in Singapore from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2015.

RESULTS

A total of 144 patients were studied (87 survived, 11 lost to follow up, 46 died). Patients with bilateral CMVR and six-month follow up CD4 + T cell count < 50 cells/mm³ have shorter time to mortality, compared to patients with CD4 + T cell count > 50 cells/mm³ (p < .001) and unilateral disease (p = .043). Baseline CD4 + T cell count, size and zone of initial primary retinitis lesions, recurrences of retinitis, and timing of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) are not significantly associated with mortality.

CONCLUSION

Bilateral ocular involvement and lack of immune recovery in patients with AIDS and CMVR are associated with shorter survival time.

Management of Intraocular Infections in HIV

Purpose: Overview of treatment options for the most common intraocular opportunistic infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), including ocular syphilis, ocular tuberculosis, toxoplasmic chorioretinitis, and viral retinitis. Method: Narrative Review. Results: Despite the huge advances in the development of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) for the management of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, opportunistic infections still represent a significant diagnostic dilemma and cause of ocular morbidity in patients with HIV. Conclusion: Although the treatment of intraocular infections in patients with AIDS may be challenging, prompt assessment of the clinical features and appropriate aggressive management of the underlying etiology are critical to avoid life and vision threatening.

High-dose (5000-μg) Intravitreal Ganciclovir Combined with Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy for Cytomegalovirus Retinitis in HIV-Infected Patients in Venezuela

Purpose

To describe the use of high doses of intravitreal ganciclovir combined with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients.

Methods

Thirteen HIV-infected patients (18 eyes) with active CMV retinitis (83.3% in zone 1 and 38.4% resistant) participated in this prospective interventional case series. Patients were treated with high dose intravitreal ganciclovir (5.0 mg/0.1 mL once a week) in combination with HAART therapy. Intravitreal injections were discontinued once CMV retinitis healed if there was a significant increase in CD4+ count (any increase of ≥50 cells/μL to levels over 100 cells/μL sustained for at least 3 months). Mean follow-up was 15.6 months. Main outcome measures included assessment of visual acuity and retinal inflammation (CMV retinitis activity). A matched historical control group of 20 eyes (15 patients) with CMV retinitis treated with systemic ganciclovir (intravenous [induction] and oral [maintenance]) was included.

Results

Complete regression of the retinitis was obtained with high doses of intravitreal ganciclovir in 88.8% of eyes (two patients died during follow-up) at a mean of 4.5 weeks (2 to 8 weeks). Visual acuity improved two or more lines in 61.1% of eyes. No ganciclovir retinal toxicity was identified. Three eyes presented CMV retinitis reactivation at a mean of 25.6 days after their last injection. Complications (33.3%) included retinal detachment (RD; 3 eyes), immune recovery uveitis (IRU; 2 eyes), and endophthalmitis (1 eye). In our control group complete regression of the retinitis was obtained in 100% of eyes at a mean of 4 weeks (3 to 7 weeks). However, 12 eyes (60%) presented with CMV retinitis relapse at a mean of 29 days (21 to 32 days) after initiating oral ganciclovir (maintenance). Complications included RD (7 eyes, 35%) and IRU (3 eyes, 15%). Severe neutropenia occurred in 2 patients (13%).

Conclusions

High doses of intravitreal ganciclovir (5.0 mg) once a week in combination with HAART therapy is effective to control CMV retinitis, and may be discontinued after CMV retinitis has healed if immune reconstitution with a significant increase in CD4+ count has occurred.

Transporter-targeted lipid prodrugs of cyclic cidofovir: a potential approach for the treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis

Cidofovir (CDF) and its cyclic analogue (cCDF) have shown potential in vitro and in vivo antiviral activity against cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis. However, hydrophilic nature of CDF may affect cell permeation across lipophilic epithelium and thus limit its effectiveness in the treatment of CMV retinitis. In the present study, we have tested a novel hypothesis, which involves chemical derivatization of cCDF into lipophilic transporter-targeted prodrug [via conjugation with different carbon chain length of lipid raft and targeting moiety (biotin) for sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT)]. We have synthesized and characterized three derivatives of cCDF including biotin B-C2-cCDF, B-C6-cCDF, and B-C12-cCDF. Physicochemical properties such as solubility, partition coefficient (n-octanol/water and ocular tissue), bioreversion kinetics, and interaction with SMVT transporter have been determined. Among these novel conjugates, B-C12-cCDF has shown higher interaction to SMVT transporter with lowest half maximal inhibitory concentration value, higher cellular accumulation, and high tissue partitioning. Improvement in physicochemical properties, lipophilicity, and interaction with transporter was observed in the trend of increasing the lipid chain length, that is, B-C12-cCDF > B-C6-cCDF > B-C2-cCDF. These results indicate that transporter-targeted lipid analogue of cCDF exhibits improved cellular accumulation along with higher transporter affinity and hence could be a viable strategy for the treatment of CMV retinitis.

Valganciclovir: a review of its use in the management of CMV infection and disease in immunocompromised patients

Valganciclovir (Valcyte) is an orally administered prodrug of the standard anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) drug ganciclovir. Valganciclovir is as effective as intravenous ganciclovir for the treatment of AIDS-related CMV retinitis, and oral ganciclovir for the prophylaxis of CMV infection and disease in high-risk solid organ transplant recipients. The drug is generally well tolerated and has a similar tolerability profile to that of oral or intravenous ganciclovir, but is devoid of adverse events related to intravenous or indwelling catheter access associated with the use of intravenous ganciclovir, cidofovir and foscarnet. The simple and convenient once-daily valganciclovir regimen offers potential for improved patient compliance. It provides greater systemic ganciclovir exposure than oral ganciclovir, thus reducing the risk of viral resistance when used for prophylaxis in high-risk solid organ transplant recipients. Furthermore, the use of valganciclovir instead of intravenous ganciclovir may provide significant cost savings, based on data comparing oral versus intravenous regimens for the treatment of AIDS-related CMV retinitis. Overall, valganciclovir appears to have some advantages over ganciclovir. Therefore, when used as prophylaxis against CMV infection and disease in high-risk solid organ transplant recipients or as induction and maintenance therapy of CMV retinitis in patients with AIDS, oral valganciclovir is an attractive alternative to other available anti-CMV drugs.

Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) spreads to and replicates in the retina after endotoxin-induced disruption of the blood-retinal barrier of immunosuppressed BALB/c mice

The goal of this study was to determine whether disruption of the blood-retinal barrier (BRB) facilitates spread of MCMV to the retina in immunosuppressed (IS) BALB/c mice. IS mice were inoculated intravenously (i.v.) with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) or with macrophages infected with MCMV for 4 days in vitro. The BRB was disrupted by injection of sodium iodate (i.v.) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS, i.v. or anterior chamber). Frozen sections of ocular tissue were examined for MCMV antigens. The results showed that MCMV-infected cells were observed only in the choroid and ciliary body in IS mice with an intact BRB. After LPS injection, a few positive cells were observed in the retina of IS mice after i.v. injection of MCMV. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated IS mice, a few PKH-26-positive macrophages or MCMV-positive cells were observed in the retina at 1 or 2 days after injection of macrophages. No PKH-26-positive cells or virus-infected cells were noted in the retina of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-treated mice. Ten days after injection of virus-infected macrophages, MCMV-infected cells were observed in choroid and ciliary body of both LPS- and PBS-treated mice, but they were observed in the retina only in LPS-treated mice. The results support the idea that disruption of the BRB allows MCMV to spread to the retina of IS mice and that monocytes/macrophages disseminate MCMV to the retina in mice with a disrupted BRB. By extrapolation, damage to the BRB in immunosuppressed patients may facilitate spread of CMV-infected monocytes/macrophages to the retina.

Effect of anti-cytomegalovirus therapy on the incidence of immune recovery uveitis in AIDS patients with healed cytomegalovirus retinitis

PURPOSE

To determine the association between anticytomegalovirus (CMV) maintenance therapy after immune recovery and immune recovery uveitis in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

DESIGN

Observational cohort study.

METHODS

Data were obtained on AIDS patients with CMV retinitis followed up at the AIDS Ocular Research Unit of University of California San Diego from November 1995 to October 1999. Immune recovery was defined as CD4 count greater than 50 cells/microl for more than 3 months. Patients with immune recovery uveitis presented with vitritis, cystoid macular edema, or epiretinal membrane. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine the risk of continued use of anti-CMV therapy after immune recovery and the relationship of developing immune recovery uveitis with the type of anti-CMV therapy.

RESULTS

Forty-three patients (64 eyes) had healed CMV retinitis and had achieved immune recovery. Thirty-one patients (48 eyes) received anti-CMV therapy after immune recovery, and 20 patients (29 eyes) developed immune recovery uveitis. Per-eye analyses revealed a 3.8-fold increase in the odds of developing immune recovery uveitis with anti-CMV therapy compared with no treatment (P =.02). If treated with cidofovir the odds were 3.3 greater than if treated with an alternative regimen (P =.04), 4.1 greater if treated intravenously (P =.01), and 5.2 greater than if not treated (P =.004). If not treated with cidofovir, a nonsignificant increase in the risk (2.4) of immune recovery uveitis was found (P =.15). Neither the potency nor the use of implants for noncidofovir treatment was related to the risk of recovery uveitis (P >.62).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of cidofovir is a primary risk factor in the subsequent development of immune recovery uveitis. Ongoing treatment of healed CMV retinitis after immune recovery does not appear to protect against the development of immune recovery uveitis.

Immune recovery uveitis in AIDS patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy in Venezuela

PURPOSE

To determine the characteristics of immune recovery uveitis (IRU) in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with inactive cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis who responded to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in a Venezuelan population.

METHODS

We examined 34 patients (50 eyes) with AIDS (HAART responders) and healed CMV retinitis. Patients were observed for a median of 19.3 months following an increase in the CD4 cell count. Ten eyes were treated with sub-Tenon space corticosteroid injections. An age-matched control group of patients with healed CMV retinitis who did not have IRU (30 eyes of 20 patients) was included to compare CMV surface area and complications.

RESULTS

We found that 12 (37.5%) of 32 HAART responders developed IRU (18 eyes). The clinical findings of these 18 eyes with IRU are presented. The clinical spectrum of inflammation included vitritis, macular edema, epiretinal membranes, anterior uveitis, macular hole, retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, and cataract. Eyes with IRU had a mean CMV surface area of 31.7%. However, eyes without IRU (control group) had a mean CMV surface area of 35% (P = 0.41). Periocular treatment resulted in vision improvement (in 90% of eyes) without reactivation of retinitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptomatic IRU developed in a significant number of patients with CMV retinitis following successful HAART in a Venezuelan population. CMV surface area does not seem to be a risk factor for the development of IRU. Eyes with IRU respond favorably to antiinflammatory therapy without reactivation of retinitis.