Emergence of Sjögren's syndrome in AIDS patients during highly active antiretroviral therapy

Rare Diseases of the Salivary Glands and of Facial Nerve

Salivary gland diseases are rare. In the European Union (EU) a disease is considered to be rare if not more than 5 of 10,000 people are affected by it. According to estimates in Germany are about 4 million people with a rare disease. In the EU are about 30 million people with rare diseases [1]. In the present work most of the described diseases of salivary glands and of the facial nerve fall in this category. They form a very heterogeneous group whose treatment takes place mainly in specialized centers. Still, it is essential for the otolaryngologist to identify and to diagnose these diseases in order to initiate the right therapeutic steps. The work is a compilation of innate andacquired rare salivary gland disorders and of rare facial nerve disorders. The etiologies of inflammatory diseases, autoimmune disorders and tumors are taken into account. For the individual topics, the current literature, if available, was evaluated and turned into summarized facts. In this context the development of new processes, diagnostics, imaging and therapy are considered. Genetic backgrounds of salivary gland tumors and the trends in the treatment of tumorous lesions of the facial nerve are picked up. Furthermore, also rare diseases of the salivary glands in childhood are described. Some of them can occur in adults as well, but differ in frequency and symptoms. Due to the rarity of these diseases, it is recommended to tread these in centers with special expertise for it. Finally, the difficulties of initiation of studies and the problems of establishing disease registries concerning salivary gland disorders are discussed. This is very relevant because these pathologies are comparatively seldom.

Residual immune dysfunction under antiretroviral therapy

The usage of combination antiretroviral therapy in people with HIV (PWH) has incited profound improvement in morbidity and mortality. Yet, PWH may not experience full restoration of immune function which can manifest with non-AIDS comorbidities that frequently associate with residual inflammation and can imperil quality of life or longevity. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis underlying chronic inflammation and residual immune dysfunction in PWH, as well as potential therapeutic interventions to ameliorate them and prevent incidence or progression of non-AIDS comorbidities. Current evidence advocates that early diagnosis and prompt initiation of therapy at high CD4 counts may represent the best available approach for an improved immune recovery in PWH.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: Spectrum of Rheumatic Manifestations

Emerging and reemerging viral infections have been a characteristic feature of the past several decades, with HIV infection being the most important example of an emergent viral infection. To date, the status of a considerable proportion of HIV/AIDS patients has changed from a near-fatal disorder secondary to opportunistic infections to a chronic disease in which a variety of co-morbid conditions have become prevalent and relevant. Arthralgia and myalgias are the most common symptoms. The rate of spondyloarthritis varies according to the geographic area, genetic and mode of transmission. Most RA and SLE patients might go into remission after the development of AIDS, but also there are patients that continue with active disease. Prevalence of DILS is highest among African Americans in less advanced stages. PAN is clinically less aggressive and peripheral neuropathy is the most common clinical manifestation. Anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS), systemic sclerosis and poly-dermatomyositis are uncommon. After the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), a decline of spondyloarthritis disorders and of DILS and development of new syndromes such as IRIS, osteoporosis and avascular bone necrosis have occurred. The treatment of patients with rheumatic diseases and HIV infection remains a challenge.

HIV-associated juvenile systemic sclerosis: a case report

INTRODUCTION

Autoimmune connective tissue diseases occur in HIV-infected persons though with a lower frequency than in the general population. However, since the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the spectrum of autoimmune diseases reported in HIV-infected patients has increased.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the occurrence and management of systemic sclerosis in a HIV-infected child.

METHODS

A case report of HIV-associated systemic sclerosis and a review of the literature on previously published cases.

RESULTS

A nine-year-old girl presented with HIV-associated systemic sclerosis complicated with interstitial lung disease and oesophageal dysmotility. She was treated with intravenous cyclophosphamide with good response on her skin scores and modest improvement in lung function parameters. She manifested no deterioration in her clinical status. However, she developed mild lymphopaenia following the treatment with cyclophosphamide.

CONCLUSION

We have described the rare occurrence of HIV infection and systemic sclerosis in a nine-year-old girl. She received cyclophosphamide for management of the systemic manifestations of SSc and did not manifest any major adverse events except mild lymphopaenia. Thus, though cyclophosphamide appeared safe in the management of HIV-associated systemic sclerosis, close monitoring of lymphocyte and CD4 counts should be done in such patients.

Viruses and salivary gland disease (SGD): lessons from HIV SGD

Viral infections are often associated with salivary gland pathology. Here we review the pathogenesis of HIV-associated salivary gland disease (HIV-SGD), a hallmark of diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome. We investigate the presence and contributions of viral diseases to the pathogenesis of salivary gland diseases, particularly HIV-SGD. We have detected BK viral shedding in the saliva of HIV-SGD patients consistent with viral infection and replication, suggesting a role for oral transmission. For further investigation of BKV pathogenesis in salivary glands, an in vitro model of BKV infection is described. Submandibular (HSG) and parotid (HSY) gland salivary cell lines were capable of permissive BKV infection, as determined by BKV gene expression and replication. Analysis of these data collectively suggests the potential for a BKV oral route of transmission and salivary gland pathogenesis within HIV-SGD.

Is Sjögren's syndrome a retroviral disease?

Circumstantial evidence suggests that retroviruses play a role in the pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome. Such evidence, derived from studies of patients with Sjögren's syndrome, includes the following: the presence of serum antibodies cross-reactive with retroviral Gag proteins; the occurrence of reverse transcriptase activity in salivary glands; the detection of retroviral antigens, retrovirus-like particles, or novel retroviral sequences in salivary glands; the occurrence of Sjögren's syndrome-like illnesses in patients having confirmed systematic infections with retroviruses such as human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and human T lymphotropic virus type 1; and the beneficial effect of anti-retroviral treatment on the occurrence of HIV-1-associated sicca syndrome. Additional evidence is provided by animal models.

HIV infection and rheumatic diseases: the changing spectrum of clinical enigma

In this article, the authors discuss the occurrence and prevalence of rheumatic syndromes before and after highly active antiretroviral therapy became the usual mode of treatment. The immunologic, environmental, and genetic factors behind the combination of HIV infection and rheumatic manifestation contribute to the complexity of these diseases. Miscellaneous case reports are discussed in relation to HIV infection. The authors conclude that geriatric care of HIV patients is on the horizon as more people have access to newer, more effective therapy and mortality is on the decline. Younger HIV patients will be committed to a lifetime of therapy to address bone disease and other chronic problems. In the future, newer agents may steer the clinical scenario in unforeseen directions.

Lessons from diseases mimicking Sjögren's syndrome

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease that mainly affects the exocrine glands and usually presents as persistent dryness of the mouth and eyes because of functional impairment of the salivary and lacrimal glands. The histological hallmark is a focal lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands, and the spectrum of the disease extends from an organ-specific autoimmune disease (autoimmune exocrinopathy) to a systemic process with diverse extraglandular manifestations. In the absence of an associated systemic autoimmune disease, patients with this condition are classified as having primary SS. The differential diagnosis includes processes that specifically involve the exocrine glands. On the one hand, some chronic viral infections may induce lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands, in some cases indistinguishable from that observed in primary SS. On the other hand, some processes may mimic the clinical picture of SS through nonlymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands. This review focuses on these two groups of diseases that mimic SS (infections and infiltrating processes).

Infection and musculoskeletal conditions: Rheumatologic complications of HIV infection

The pandemic caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has entered its second quarter-century, with 40 million people now affected worldwide - particularly in Africa, where the impact has been most devastating. A complex array of rheumatic disease manifestations has been described, including diseases specific to HIV infection such as HIV-associated arthritis and the diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome; other conditions which occur prominently in HIV-positive individuals include vasculitis, reactive and psoriatic arthritis and HIV-associated polymyositis, opportunistic musculoskeletal infections, and finally disorders that were originally ameliorated by HIV infection, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Effective antiretroviral treatment ameliorates many of these disorders; however, the introduction of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) has introduced a new spectrum of disorders and new challenges confronting the clinician, including osteonecrosis, rhabdomyolysis, and, with immune reconstitution, the appearance de novo of a variety of autoimmune disorders and phenomena.

Musculoskeletal and autoimmune manifestations of HIV, syphilis and tuberculosis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The HIV pandemic continues to increase at an alarming rate, and is the leading cause of death worldwide from a single pathogen. The number of HIV-1-infected individuals currently exceeds 40 million, the majority of whom live in the developing countries of Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and south America. In the past 5 years, there has concurrently been an increase in the reported cases of tuberculosis and primary and secondary syphilis. This review addresses the musculoskeletal and autoimmune manifestations associated with HIV, syphilis and tuberculosis infections or their treatments.

RECENT FINDINGS

During HIV infection the immune system becomes dysfunctional because of the coexistence of immunodeficiency and immune hyperactivity, and a disregulated production or activity of cytokines. Some of these mechanisms explain the development of rheumatic manifestations associated with HIV infection. Highly active antiretroviral therapy changes the course of HIV infection and the spectrum of the HIV-associated rheumatic manifestations. New syndromes such as the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome have emerged. HIV, tuberculosis and syphilis infections offer special epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic challenges.

SUMMARY

These observations highlight the complexity and multiplicity of the interactions between the pathogen and host that could result in the development of rheumatic manifestations.