The outcome of HIV-positive late presenters according to detectable CMV DNA and anti-CMV treatment

Cytomegalovirus infection among people living with HIV in Sweden: Case profiles, treatment strategies and patient outcomes at Karolinska University Hospital 2010-2020

OBJECTIVES

In countries with access to early antiretroviral treatment (ART), opportunistic infections caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV) in people living with HIV (PLWH) are becoming increasingly rare. As potential complications are severe, it is critical to remain aware of this important diagnosis. However, clinical characteristics and prognosis of CMV infection in PLWH in the era of modern ART have not been well described.

METHODS

Here, we compiled the clinical presentation, management and outcome of CMV infection in PLWH treated at the infectious diseases clinic of Karolinska University Hospital during 2010-2020.

RESULTS

We identified 51 cases of active CMV infection, based on detection of CMV-DNA, mainly diagnosed in patients with CD4 T-cell count <200 cells/μL (86%). Median time from HIV diagnosis to detection of CMV infection was 16 days. In 20 cases (39%), CMV infection was symptomatic with retinitis identified as a manifestation in 70% of cases. Symptomatic CMV infection was treated for 73 (20-313) days upon diagnosis, mostly using valganciclovir. One-year mortality was 22% and was associated with longer time to ART initiation from HIV diagnosis and with comorbidities, but not with CMV-DNA levels or CD4 count. Immune reconstitution was not significantly compromised in patients with symptomatic CMV, although CD4/8 ratio tended to be lower in patients with systemic CMV infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Retinitis remains the most common manifestation of symptomatic CMV infection in PLWH. Recognizing CMV infection is important, especially in the management of 'late presenters'. Adequate duration of antiviral therapy and appropriate follow-up must be ensured to avoid complications.

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).

Characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to a tertiary academic hospital in Pretoria with HIV and severe pneumonia: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality in South Africa. Pneumonia and opportunistic infections remain a major cause for hospital admission among those living with HIV, even in the era of the widespread availability of antiretroviral therapy.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, the records of patients admitted with HIV and severe pneumonia, requiring high care/intensive care admission, during a period of 12 months (February 2018 to January 2019) were reviewed. Demographic details, antiretroviral use, HIV viral load, CD4 count, sputum culture results and radiological imaging of patients were recorded. Data was analysed to determine variables associated with mortality.

RESULTS

One hundred and seventeen patient records were reviewed for this study. The patients were young (mean age 38.3 years), had advanced disease with low CD4 counts (mean 120.2 cells/mm³) and high HIV viral loads (mean 594,973.7 copies/mL). Only 36.9% (42/117) were on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on presentation to the hospital. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) was found to be the cause for pneumonia in 35% (41/117), whilst Pneumocystis jirovecii (P. jirovecii) was found in 21.4% (25/117). Bacterial pneumonia was the cause in 17.1% (20/117) of patients while no specific aetiology was found in 26.6% (31/117) of patients in the cohort. Mortality among the cohort studied was high (40.1%) and the average length of stay in hospital in excess of two weeks. The need for ICU admission, ventilation and CMV viremia was associated with increased mortality. Chest X-ray findings did not correlate with the aetiology of pneumonia, but multiple B-lines on lung ultrasound correlated with P. jirovecii as an aetiology and there was a signal that pleural effusion with fibrin stranding predicts tuberculosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients studied presented with advanced HIV and were often naïve to antiretroviral therapy. Mortality in this cohort of young patients was high, which emphasis the need for earlier diagnosis and treatment of HIV at a primary care level. Lung ultrasound may have clinical utility in the management of patients with HIV and pneumonia, particularly to diagnose P. jirovecii as an aetiology.

Cytomegalovirus viremia is associated with poor outcomes in AIDS patients with disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial disease

Both cytomegalovirus (CMV) viremia and disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease are common opportunistic infections in AIDS patients. Whether concurrent CMV viremia is associated with mortality in patients with AIDS and disseminated NTM disease is unknown. Subjects were patients with AIDS and disseminated NTM disease seen at a single center from January 2015 to April 2021. Data were retrospectively collected. Differences in demographics and clinical characteristics and hospitalization survival rates were compared between patients with disseminated NTM and with CMV viremia or not. Subjects were 113 AIDS patients with disseminated NTM who were seen at this Hospital from January 2015 to April 2021. Twenty-six of the patients had CMV viremia and 87 did not. The median age was 36 years (interquartile range [IQR] 29-42) and 108 patients were male (96%). The median CD4 count was 7 cells/µL (IQR 3-17). The median plasma CMV viral load was 9,245 IU/mL (IQR 3147-45725). The serum albumin of patients with CMV viremia was significantly lower than that of patients without CMV viremia (P = 0.03). Compared to patients without CMV viremia (81.6%), patients with CMV viremia had a significantly poorer prognosis (P = 0.01). Cox regression analysis indicated that the risk of a poor prognosis in patients with CMV viremia was 4.7 times higher than that in patients without CMV viremia (P = 0.003), and patients with CD8 more than 250/μL had a better prognosis (P = 0.02). CMV viremia increases the risk of a poor prognosis in patients with AIDS and a disseminated NTM infection. A routine CMV DNA test should be performed on patients with AIDS and disseminated NTM disease in order to reduce the risk of death.

Multiple small bowel perforations due to cytomegalovirus related immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in an HIV patient: A case report

RATIONALE

The presentation of multiple intestinal perforations is a severe complication of enteric cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, sometimes associated with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) after the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Here we reported a rare case of a patient with HIV infection who developed multiple perforations in the small bowel shortly after ART initiation without any prodromal gastrointestinal symptoms. We also reviewed the literature of reported cases to clarify their clinical characteristics for early diagnosis and rapid intervention.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A patient with HIV presented with fever after 16 days of ART initiation and was admitted to our hospital. He was treated with intravenous ganciclovir due to persistent CMV viremia. The fever resolved 10 days later. However, he reported persistent left lower abdominal pain.

DIAGNOSES

The patient was diagnosed with multiple small bowel perforations, CMV-related IRIS, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. An upright abdominal x-ray in a tertiary level hospital revealed bilateral moderate intraperitoneal free air. We performed a pathological examination and metagenomic next-generation sequencing. CMV enteritis was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining and other opportunistic infections were excluded by metagenomic next-generation sequencing.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient was treated with intravenous ganciclovir and 24 hours later, the patient underwent exploratory laparotomy. Partial resection and surgical repair of the small intestine were performed.

OUTCOMES

The patient ultimately died from intestinal obstruction and septic shock 55 days after surgery.

LESSONS

Perforations due to CMV-related IRIS are very rare, and usually appear shortly after ART initiation. Most cases lack the prodromal symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea. Intestinal perforations are lethal, and early detection and surgical treatment are lifesaving.

Frosted branch angiitis due to cytomegalovirus-associated unmasking immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome: a case report and literature review

Background

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis is a common opportunistic infection in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The common funduscopic manifestations are haemorrhagic necrotising variety and granular variety. Frosted branch angiitis (FBA), as a special form, when it occurred after antiretroviral therapy(ART), could possibly be associated with immune reconstitution. We report a case of FBA secondary to CMV infection-associated unmasking immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS).

Case presentation

A 27-year-old man with human immunodeficiency virus infection developed FBA after 35 days of ART. The left Aqueous humour (AqH) tested positive for CMV DNA, and the patient was diagnosed with CMV retinitis. The degree of intraocular inflammation was reflected by increased levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 in AqH. After anti-CMV treatment and continuous ART for several months, his FBA and vision significantly improved. CMV DNA became undetectable in the left AqH, and the IL-6 and IL-8 levels in AqH decreased.

Conclusion

FBA could be a sign of CMV-associated unmasking IRIS. Anti-CMV treatment alone or combination with steroid treatment may be administered, depending on the changes in CMV DNA load and immunologic profile of AqH.

Human cytomegalovirus infection among treatment-naive HIV-1 infected patients in Ethiopia

Subclinical human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication is associated with immune dysfunction in immuno-suppressed antiretroviral therapy (ART) naive HIV infected individuals. No data is documented in Ethiopia so far concerning HCMV co-infection among HIV infected individuals. Hence, this study was aimed at generating data regarding the prevalence of active HCMV infection among treatment-naive HIV-infected individuals from Ethiopia. For this purpose, we enrolled 97 treatment-naive HIV infected study subjects in Addis Ababa from June to December 2018. ELISA and conventional PCR were performed consecutively to detect HCMV specific IgM antibody and HCMV DNA respectively. Of the 97 study subjects, 12 (12.4%) were positive for anti-CMV IgM antibodies but were not confirmed by PCR. With regard to the PCR positivity, 4/97 (4.1%) samples were positive for HCMV DNA. No statically significant associations were found between the dependent and independent variables. The presence of HCMV DNA in the current study highlights the need for a routine laboratory diagnosis for preventing HCMV disease among HIV-infected individuals early. Besides, the use of anti-CMV therapy for these CMV viremic individuals is also recommended as this can reduce the burden of CMV complications and consecutively prolonging the life of HIV infected individuals.

Autologous stem cell transplantation for lymphoma in HIV+ patients: higher rate of infections compared with non-HIV lymphoma

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a well-established treatment strategy in HIV-related lymphoma patients (HIV+ Ly). Nevertheless, current evidence is mainly based on reports from specialized centers, multicentre heterogeneous studies, noncomparative analyses, or registry data-based comparisons. Likewise, the risk of infections reported so far for this population, seems to be similar to that of HIV- patients, and it does not seem to impact on mortality. We report a single-center retrospective comparative analysis of AHCT procedural results, infectious complications and survival in HIV+ Ly matched with a non-HIV comparative cohort. Thirty-three HIV+ patients and 45 matched controls, who underwent ASCT between 2000 and 2016, were included. Transplant-related toxicity, event-free survival, relapse rate, and overall survival were similar in both groups. Engraftment was delayed in HIV+ Ly (neutrophils: 15 vs 12 days (p = 0.0001), and platelets 39 vs 16 days (p = 0.00001)). Bacterial infections during the pre-engraftment period were more frequent in HIV+ Ly (RR 2.24, p = 0.017), as well as viral infections in the postengraftment period (RR 3.22, p = 0.004). CMV reactivation was more frequent in HIV+ Ly (39% vs 15% p = 0.007). In conclusion, ASCT is viable and effective in HIV+ Ly, but it is associated with a higher risk of infection.