Effect of a 14-day course of foscarnet on cytomegalovirus (CMV) blood markers in a randomized study of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with persistent CMV viremia. Agence National de Recherche du SIDA 023 Study Group

Efficacy and safety of preemptive therapy for cytomegalovirus end-organ disease in people living with HIV: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Cytomegalovirus end-organ-disease (CMV EOD) is still a major cause of debilitating illness in people living with HIV, especially in developing countries.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of preemptive therapy against CMV EOD in HIV-positive adults with CMV viremia.

METHODS

Systematic review of clinical trials by searching electronic databases and clinical trial registries, screening and selection of references, data extraction and assessment of risk of bias. The results were presented in a narrative synthesis. Aggregated analyzes for dichotomous outcomes were reported as odds ratios with 95 % Confidence Intervals.

RESULTS

Four RTC were included. A reduction in the risk of CMV EOD with preemptive therapy was found OR=0.49 (95 % CI 0.31‒0.76). We did not identify significant differences for all-cause mortality, adverse events, and withdrawal of the therapy secondary to adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Preemptive therapy could be a potential option for preventing CMV EOD in people living with HIV.

Anti-cytomegalovirus preemptive therapy to prevent cytomegalovirus disease in HIV-infected patients: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

HIV patients are at higher risk of contracting and developing into an asymptomatic form of CMV infection. This review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of preemptive therapy for preventing CMV disease in HIV patients.

METHODS

The electronic search was conducted in MEDLINE/PubMed and CENTRAL from inception until 9 September 2022. Studies were included if they assessed the efficacy or safety of anti-CMV preemptive therapy compared to placebo or no therapy. Risk of bias were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized trials version 2 or the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions. The random-effects model was used to calculate effect sizes.

RESULTS

We identified six RCTs (2135 participants) and four observational studies (395 participants), with five RCTs were performed before highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era. Preemptive therapy did not reduce the incidence of CMV disease (RR 0.84, 95% CI: 0.59-1.18), yet reduced the RR of all-cause mortality rate by 26% (RR 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74-0.97) with a low quality of evidence. The incidence of neutropenia as an adverse event increased significantly (RR 2.47, 95% CI: 1.12-5.45) with moderate quality of evidence.

CONCLUSIONS

With the advent of HAART, a limited number of studies have been performed to explore anti-CMV preemptive therapy due to the improved outcomes of HIV patients with CMV viremia. Therefore, optimal HAART should take precedence over anti-CMV preemptive therapy. The protocol for this review was registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42020145765).

Optimizing Antiviral Dosing for HSV and CMV Treatment in Immunocompromised Patients

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) are DNA viruses that are common among humans. Severely immunocompromised patients are at increased risk of developing HSV or CMV disease due to a weakened immune system. Antiviral therapy can be challenging because these drugs have a narrow therapeutic window and show significant pharmacokinetic variability. Above that, immunocompromised patients have various comorbidities like impaired renal function and are exposed to polypharmacy. This scoping review discusses the current pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) knowledge of antiviral drugs for HSV and CMV treatment in immunocompromised patients. HSV and CMV treatment guidelines are discussed, and multiple treatment interventions are proposed: early detection of drug resistance; optimization of dose to target concentration by therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of nucleoside analogs; the introduction of new antiviral drugs; alternation between compounds with different toxicity profiles; and combinations of synergistic antiviral drugs. This research will also serve as guidance for future research, which should focus on prospective evaluation of the benefit of each of these interventions in randomized controlled trials.

Diagnostic utility of quantitative plasma cytomegalovirus DNA PCR for cytomegalovirus end-organ diseases in patients with HIV-1 infection

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the diagnostic value of quantitative plasma cytomegalovirus (CMV)-DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for CMV end-organ diseases (CMV-EOD) in patients with HIV-1 infection.

DESIGN

Single-center cross-sectional study.

METHODS

The study subjects were HIV-1-infected patients with CD4 ≤200 per microliter, who had undergone ophthalmologic examination with plasma CMV-DNA PCR measured within 7 days. CMV retinitis and other CMV-EOD were diagnosed according to the ACTG criteria. PCR value was converted into the WHO international standard.

RESULTS

CMV retinitis and all CMV-EOD were diagnosed in 23 (5%) and 37 (8%) of the 461 study patients, respectively. CMV-DNA was undetectable (<185 IU/mL) in 2 patients with CMV retinitis and 1 with encephalitis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of CMV-DNA for CMV retinitis and all CMV-EOD were 0.80 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.71 to 0.89] and 0.82 (0.75 to 0.89), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for each cutoff value of CMV-DNA were as follows: for CMV retinitis, ≥10,086 IU/mL: 26.1%, 94.1%, 18.8%, 96%; ≥2946 IU/mL; 56.5%, 86.8%, 18.3%, 97.4%; ≥959 IU/mL; 60.9%, 78.1%, 12.7%, 97.4%; detectable CMV-DNA (≥185 IU/mL): 91.3%, 48.2%, 8.5%, 99.1%; for all CMV-EOD: ≥10,086 IU/mL: 32.4%, 95.3%, 37.5%, 94.2%; ≥2946 IU/mL; 54.1%, 88%, 28.2%, 95.6%; ≥959 IU/mL; 62.2%, 79.5%, 20.9%, 96%; detectable CMV-DNA; 91.9%, 49.5%, 13.7%, 98.6%.

CONCLUSIONS

Plasma CMV-DNA PCR has a high diagnostic value for both CMV retinitis and all CMV-EOD in patients with advanced HIV-1 infection. A cutoff value of CMV-DNA ≥10,086 IU/mL and ≥2946 IU/mL yields high specificity, whereas undetectable CMV-DNA load (<185 IU/mL) likely rules out CMV-EOD.

Assessment of the efficacy and safety of pre-emptive anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) therapy in HIV-infected patients with CMV viraemia

A number of studies have demonstrated that cytomegalovirus (CMV) viraemia is a strong predictor for CMV end-organ disease (EOD) and death in HIV-infected patients. We assess the efficacy and safety of pre-emptive anti-CMV therapy (PACT) for preventing these events. We performed a retrospective study of all HIV-infected patients seen in our institution who had detectable CMV viraemia in 2007. Seventy-one patients with advanced HIV disease (median CD4 cell count = 61 cells/mm3) were studied. Sixteen patients received PACT (mainly valganciclovir). Patients who received PACT had lower CD4 cell counts and higher blood CMV DNA levels. The cumulative incidence of CMV EOD and death at one year was 44% and 21% in patients with and without PACT, respectively ( p = 0.013). Both PACT and high blood CMV DNA levels were significantly associated with CMV EOD and death in unadjusted analysis. In adjusted analyses, only blood CMV DNA levels remained significantly associated with the risk of CMV EOD and death, whereas PACT was associated with a non-significant trend towards reduced CMV EOD or death (hazard ratio: 0.25, p = 0.13). Five patients with PACT experienced severe drug-related adverse events. In conclusion, the use of PACT in HIV-infected patients with CMV viraemia could improve outcome but is associated with significant toxicity.

Medical treatment of viral pneumonia including SARS in immunocompetent adult

Since no randomized controlled trials have been conducted on the treatment of viral pneumonia by antivirals or immunomodulators in immunocompetent adults, a review of such anecdotal experience are needed for the more rational use of such agents. Case reports (single or case series) with details on their treatment and outcome in the English literature can be reviewed for pneumonia caused by human or avian influenza A virus (50 patients), varicella zoster virus (120), adenovirus (29), hantavirus (100) and SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) (841). Even with steroid therapy alone, the mortality rate appeared to be lower when compared with conservative treatment for pneumonia caused by human influenza virus (12.5% vs. 42.1%) and hantavirus (13.3% vs. 63.4%). Combination of an effective antiviral, acyclovir, with steroid in the treatment of varicella zoster virus may be associated with a lower mortality than acyclovir alone (0% vs. 10.3%). Combination of interferon alfacon-1 plus steroid, or lopinavir/ritonavir, ribavirin plus steroid were associated with a better outcome than ribavirin plus steroid (0% vs. 2.3% vs. 7.7%, respectively). Combination of lopinavir/ritonavir plus ribavirin significantly reduced the virus load of SARS-CoV in nasopharyngeal, serum, stool and urine specimens taken between day 10 and 15 after symptom onset when compared with the historical control group treated with ribavirin. It appears that the combination of an effective antiviral and steroid was associated with a better outcome. Randomized therapeutic trial should be conducted to ascertain the relative usefulness of antiviral alone or in combination with steroid.

Plasma cytomegalovirus DNA, pp65 antigenaemia and a low CD4 cell count remain risk factors for cytomegalovirus disease in patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy

OBJECTIVE

To study the natural history and the current risk factors for cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in the context of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

SETTING

Prospective multicentre cohort in 15 university hospitals in France.

METHODS

A group of 198 patients with CD4 cell count < 100 x 10(6) cells/l (or < 200 x 10(6) cells/l under HAART for at least 2 months), no previous CMV disease and CMV-positive serology were followed every 4 months clinically and for virological testing including HIV RNA and CMV blood markers (culture, pp65 antigenaemia, plasma CMV DNA and CMV late mRNA by the polymerase chain reaction).

RESULTS

At inclusion, median CD4 was 77 x 10(6) cells/l (0-308) and 85% of the patients received protease inhibitors. The percentage of patients receiving HAART reached 99% at 12 months. After a follow-up of 23.6 months, the incidence of CMV disease was 3.2/100 patient-years [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-5.0]. In univariate Cox models, all the CMV markers, a CD4 cell count remaining < 75 x 10(6) cells/l and an HIV viral load > 100,000 copies/ml were predictive for CMV disease. The hazard ratios for CMV disease were 11 for blood culture; 14 and 70 for pp65 antigenaemia of > or = 1 and > or = 100 nuclei/200,000 cells, respectively; 35 for plasma CMV DNA; 6 for CMV mRNA; 29 for CD4 < 75 x 10(6) cells/l; and 12 for HIV RNA > 100,000 copies/ml. In a stepwise multivariate analysis, only three covariates were independently associated with the occurrence of a disease: plasma CMV DNA, pp65 antigenaemia > or = 100 nuclei/200,000 cells and a CD4 count < 75 x 10(6) cells/l.

CONCLUSION

CMV blood markers and CD4 count < 75 x 10(6) cells/l remain risk factors for CMV disease in patients receiving HAART. Analysis of plasma CMV DNA by the polymerase chain reaction is a reproducible and standardized tool that could be used as a decision marker for initiating CMV pre-emptive therapy.