Tuberculosis in human immunodeficiency virus infected Ugandan children starting on antiretroviral therapy

Predictors of mortality among TB-HIV co-infected children attending anti-retroviral therapy clinics of selected public hospitals in southern, Ethiopia: retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Co-infection of tuberculosis and HIV has a significant impact on public health. TB is the most common opportunistic infection and the leading cause of death in HIV-positive children worldwide. But there is paucity of studies concerning the predictors of mortality among TB-HIV co-infected children. This study aimed to determine the predictors of mortality among TB-HIV co-infected children attending ART clinics of public hospitals in Southern Nation, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Ethiopia.

METHODS

A hospital-based retrospective cohort study design was used among 284 TB-HIV co-infected children attending ART clinics at selected public hospitals in SNNPR, Ethiopia, from January 2009 to December 2019. Then, medical records of children who were TB/HIV co-infected and on ART were reviewed using a structured data extraction tool. Data were entered using Epidata 4.6 and analyzed using SPSS version 23. The Kaplan Meier survival curve along with log rank tests was used to estimate and compare survival time. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were conducted to identify predictors of mortality among TB/HIV co-infected children. Adjusted Hazard Ratio with p value < 0.05 and 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant.

RESULT

A total of 284 TB/HIV co-infected children were included in the study. Among these, 35 (12.3%) of them died during the study period. The overall mortality rate was 2.78 (95%CI = 1.98-3.99) per 100 child years of observation. The predictors of mortality were anemia (AHR = 3.6; 95%CI: 1.39-9.31), fair or poor ART drug adherence (AHR = 2.9; 95%CI = 1.15-7.43), extrapulmonary TB (AHR = 3.9; 95%CI: 1.34-11.45) and TB drug resistance (AHR = 5.7; 95%CI: 2.07-15.96).

CONCLUSION

Mortality rate of TB/HIV co-infected children in selected public hospitals in SNNPR, Ethiopia was documented as 2.78 per child years of observation as a result of this study. Moreover, Anemia, drug resistant tuberculosis, extrapulmonary TB and poor adherence to ART drugs were identified as the predictors of mortality among these children.

Tuberculosis among Children and Adolescents at HIV Treatment Centers in Sub-Saharan Africa

HIV-infected children and adolescents are at increased risk for tuberculosis (TB). Antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces TB risk in HIV-infected adults, but its effectiveness in HIV-infected children and adolescents is unknown. We analyzed data from 7 integrated pediatric HIV/TB centers in 6 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We used a Bayesian mixed-effect model to assess association between ART and TB prevalence and used adaptive lasso regression to analyze risk factors for adverse TB outcomes. The study period encompassed 57,525 patient-years and 1,160 TB cases (2,017 cases/100,000 patient-years). Every 10% increase in ART uptake resulted in a 2.33% reduction in TB prevalence. Favorable TB outcomes were associated with increased time in care and early ART initiation, whereas severe immunosuppression was associated with death. These findings support integrated HIV/TB services for HIV-infected children and adults and demonstrate the association of ART uptake with decreased TB incidence in high HIV/TB settings.

A prospective study of the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in HIV-infected children from high prevalence countries

BACKGROUND

The immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in HIV-infected infants and young children is relatively understudied in regions endemic for HIV and TB. We aimed to describe incidence, clinical features and risk factors of pediatric IRIS in Sub-Saharan Africa and India.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We conducted an observational multi-centred prospective clinical study from December 2010 to September 2013 in children <72 months of age recruited from public antiretroviral programs. The main diagnostic criterion for IRIS was a new or worsening inflammatory event after initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART). Among 198 participants, median age 1.15 (0.48; 2.21) years, 38 children (18.8%) developed 45 episodes of IRIS. Five participants (13.2%) had two IRIS events and one (2.6%) had 3 events. Main causes of IRIS were BCG (n = 21; 46.7%), tuberculosis (n = 10; 22.2%) and dermatological, (n = 8, 17.8%). Four TB IRIS cases had severe morbidity including 1 fatality. Cytomegalovirus colitis and cryptococcal meningitis IRIS were also severe. BCG IRIS resolved without pharmacological intervention. On multivariate logistic regression, the most important baseline associations with IRIS were high HIV viral load (likelihood ratio [LR] 10.629; p = 0.0011), recruitment at 1 site (Stellenbosch University) (LR 4.01; p = 0.0452) and CD4 depletion (LR 3.4; p = 0.0654). Significantly more non-IRIS infectious and inflammatory events between days 4 and 17 of ART initiation were noted in cases versus controls (35% versus 15.2%: p = 0.0007).

CONCLUSIONS

IRIS occurs commonly in HIV-infected children initiating ART and occasionally has severe morbidity. The incidence may be underestimated. Predictive, diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers are needed.

The burden of vaccine-preventable diseases among HIV-infected and HIV-exposed children in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

There are knowledge gaps regarding evidence-based research on the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and HIV-exposed children aged <18 years in sub-Saharan Africa. It is therefore essential to determine the trend and burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. We completed a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the incidence, prevalence and case-fatality rates (CFR) attributed to various vaccine-preventable diseases among HIV-infected and HIV-exposed children in sub-Saharan Africa. The trends in the prevalence of vaccine-preventable diseases among HIV-infected and HIV-exposed children were also determined. Nine studies on tuberculosis (TB) were pooled to give an overall incidence rate estimate of 60 (95% confidence interval [CI] 30-70) per 1,000 child-years. The incidence of pneumococcal infections varied between 109-1509 per 100,000 while pertussis was between 2.9 and 3.7 per 1000 child-year. Twenty-two TB prevalence studies reported an estimated prevalence of 16%. Fifteen prevalence studies on hepatitis B infection were pooled together with an estimated prevalence of 5%. The pooled prevalence for pneumococcal infections was 2% while rotavirus diarrhoea reported a prevalence of 13%. Twenty-nine studies on TB were pooled to give an overall CFR estimate of 17% while pneumococcal infections in HIV-infected and exposed children were pooled together with a resultant rate of 15%. Some of the vaccine-preventable diseases still have high incidences, prevalence and CFR among HIV-infected and HIV-exposed children. There is also a dearth of research data on the burden of several vaccine-preventable diseases among HIV-infected and exposed children and a need for more studies in this area.

Survival and predictors of mortality among children co-infected with tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. A retrospective follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death in Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected children globally. The aims of this study were to determine the mortality rate and to identify the predictors of mortality among TB/HIV co-infected children at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital.

METHOD

A retrospective follow-up study was conducted among TB/HIV co-infected children from February 2005 to March 2017. A Kaplan-Meier curve was used to estimate the median survival time. Bivariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were fitted to identify the predictors of mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 271 TB/HIV co-infected children were included in the analysis. Of these, 38(14.02%) children were died during the follow-up period. This gives a total of 1167.67 child-years of observations. The overall mortality rate was 3.27(95%CI: 2.3-4.5) per 100 child-years. The independent predictors of time to death were age 1-5 years (as compared to age <1 year) (AHR = 0.3; 95%CI:0.09-0.98)), being anemic (AHR = 2.6; 95%CI:1.24-5.3), cotrimoxazole preventive therapy(CPT) non-users (AHR = 4.1; 95%CI:1.4-16.75), isoniazid preventive therapy(IPT) non-users (AHR = 2.95; 95%CI:1.16-7.5), having extra pulmonary tuberculosis(EPTB) (AHR = 2.43; 95%CI:1.1-5.3)) and fair or poor adherence to Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART)(AHR = 3.5; 95%CI:1.7-7.5).

CONCLUSION

Mortality rate among TB/HIV co-infected children was high at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. Age, extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, anemia, adherence, CPT and IPT were the independent predictors of mortality.

Survival of HIV-1 vertically infected children

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

It is 20 years since the start of the combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) era and more than 10 years since cART scale-up began in resource-limited settings. We examined survival of vertically HIV-infected infants and children in the cART era.

RECENT FINDINGS

Good survival has been achieved on cART in all settings with up to 10-fold mortality reductions compared with before cART availability. Although mortality risk remains high in the first few months after cART initiation in young children with severe disease, it drops rapidly thereafter even for those who started with advanced disease, and longer term mortality risk is low. However, suboptimal retention on cART in routine programs threatens good survival outcomes and even on treatment children continue to experience high comorbidity risk; infections remain the major cause of death. Interventions to address infection risk include a cotrimoxazole prophylaxis, isoniazid preventive therapy, routine childhood and influenza immunization, and improving maternal survival.

SUMMARY

Pediatric survival has improved substantially with cART and HIV-infected children are aging into adulthood. It is important to ensure access to diagnosis and early cART, good program retention as well as optimal comorbidity prophylaxis and treatment to achieve the best possible long-term survival and health outcomes for vertically infected children.

The impact of HIV and antiretroviral therapy on TB risk in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Children (<15 years) are vulnerable to TB disease following infection, but no systematic review or meta-analysis has quantified the effects of HIV-related immunosuppression or antiretroviral therapy (ART) on their TB incidence.

OBJECTIVES

Determine the impact of HIV infection and ART on risk of incident TB disease in children.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE and Embase for studies measuring HIV prevalence in paediatric TB cases ('TB cohorts') and paediatric HIV cohorts reporting TB incidence ('HIV cohorts'). Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa tool. TB cohorts with controls were meta-analysed to determine the incidence rate ratio (IRR) for TB given HIV. HIV cohort data were meta-analysed to estimate the trend in log-IRR versus CD4%, relative incidence by immunological stage and ART-associated protection from TB.

RESULTS

42 TB cohorts and 22 HIV cohorts were included. In the eight TB cohorts with controls, the IRR for TB was 7.9 (95% CI 4.5 to 13.7). HIV-infected children exhibited a reduction in IRR of 0.94 (95% credible interval: 0.83-1.07) per percentage point increase in CD4%. TB incidence was 5.0 (95% CI 4.0 to 6.0) times higher in children with severe compared with non-significant immunosuppression. TB incidence was lower in HIV-infected children on ART (HR: 0.30; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.39). Following initiation of ART, TB incidence declined rapidly over 12 months towards a HR of 0.10 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.25).

CONCLUSIONS

HIV is a potent risk factor for paediatric TB, and ART is strongly protective. In HIV-infected children, early diagnosis and ART initiation reduces TB risk.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42014014276.

Mortality and clinical outcomes in children treated with antiretroviral therapy in four African vertical programmes during the first decade of paediatric HIV care, 2001-2010

OBJECTIVE

To assess mortality and clinical outcomes in children treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) in four African vertical programmes between 2001 and 2010.

METHODS

Cohort analysis of data from HIV-infected children (<15 years old) initiating ART in four sub-Saharan HIV programmes in Kenya, Uganda and Malawi, between December 2001 and December 2010. Rates of mortality, programme attrition and first-line clinico-immunological failure were calculated by age group (<2, 2-4 and 5-14 years), 1 or 2 years after ART initiation, and risk factors were examined.

RESULTS

A total of 3949 children, 22.7% aged <2 years, 32.2% 2-4 years and 45.1% 5-14 years, were included. At ART initiation, 60.8% had clinical stage 3 or 4, and 46.5% severe immunosuppression. Overall mortality, attrition and 1-year failure rates were 5.1, 10.8 and 9.0 per 100 person-years, respectively. Immunosuppression, stage 3 or 4, and underweight were associated with increased rates of mortality, attrition and treatment failure. Adjusted estimates showed lower mortality hazard ratios (HR) among children aged 2-4 years (HR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.42-0.77 than children aged 5-14 years). One-year treatment failure incidence rate ratios (IRR) were similar regardless of age (IRR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.67-1.25 for <2 years; 1.01, 95% CI 0.83-1.23 for 2-4 years, vs. 5-14 years).

CONCLUSIONS

Good treatment outcomes were achieved during the first decade of HIV paediatric care despite the late start of therapy. Encouraging early HIV infant diagnosis in and outside prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes, and linkage to care services for early ART initiation, is needed to reduce mortality and delay treatment failure.

Mortality among pulmonary tuberculosis and HIV-1 co-infected Nigerian children being treated for pulmonary tuberculosis and on antiretroviral therapy: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Mortality data, including the risk factors for mortality in HIV-infected children with pulmonary TB (PTB) being treated for PTB and who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART), are scarce in Nigeria. We determined the mortality rate and risk factors for mortality among such children, at the pediatric HIV clinic of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Jos, Nigeria.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study on 260 PTB-HIV-1 co-infected children, aged 2 months to 13 years, being treated for PTB and on ART from July 2005 to March 2013. The mortality rate and associated risk factors were determined using multivariate Cox proportional hazards modelling.

RESULTS

The mortality rate for the study cohort was 1.4 per 100 child-years of follow-up. Median follow-up time was 5.2 years (IQR, 3.5-6.0 years) with total study time being 1159 child-years. The median age of those who died was lower than that of survivors, 1.9 years (IQR, 0.6-3.6 years) versus 3.8 years (IQR, 1.8-6.0 years), p=0.005). The majority of the deaths occurred in males (13, 81.2%), those <5 years of age (14, 87.4%) and those who had severe immunosuppression (11, 68.8%). Risk factors for death were age (with the risk of dying decreasing by 25% for every 1 year increase in age, adjusted hazard ratio (AHR)=0.75 [0.58-0.98], p=0.032), male gender (AHR=3.80 [1.07-13.5], p=0.039) and severe immunosuppression (AHR=3.35 [1.16-9.66], p=0.025).

CONCLUSION

In our clinic setting, mortality among our PTB-HIV co-infected children being treated for PTB and on ART was low. However, those presenting with severe immunosuppression and who are males and very young, should be monitored more closely during follow-up in order to further reduce mortality.

Tuberculosis and pneumonia in HIV-infected children: an overview

Pneumonia remains the most common cause of hospitalization and the most important cause of death in young children. In high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-burden settings, HIV-infected children carry a high burden of lower respiratory tract infection from common respiratory viruses, bacteria and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In addition, Pneumocystis jirovecii and cytomegalovirus are important opportunistic pathogens. As the vertical transmission risk of HIV decreases and access to antiretroviral therapy increases, the epidemiology of these infections is changing, but HIV-infected infants and children still carry a disproportionate burden of these infections. There is also increasing recognition of the impact of in utero exposure to HIV on the general health of exposed but uninfected infants. The reasons for this increased risk are not limited to socioeconomic status or adverse environmental conditions—there is emerging evidence that these HIV-exposed but uninfected infants may have particular immune deficits that could increase their vulnerability to respiratory pathogens. We discuss the impact of tuberculosis and other lower respiratory tract infections on the health of HIV-infected infants and children.

Survival Outcomes in a Pediatric Antiretroviral Treatment Cohort in Southern Malawi

BACKGROUND

Pediatric uptake and outcomes in antiretroviral treatment (ART) programmes have lagged behind adult programmes. We describe outcomes from a population-based pediatric ART cohort in rural southern Malawi.

METHODS

Data were analyzed on children who initiated ART from October/2003 -September/2011. Demographics and diagnoses were described and survival analyses conducted to assess the impact of age, presenting features at enrolment, and drug selection.

RESULTS

The cohort consisted of 2203 children <15 years of age. Age at entry was <1 year for 219 (10%), 1-1.9 years for 343 (16%), 2-4.9 years for 584 (27%), and 5-15 years for 1057 (48%) patients. Initial clinical diagnoses of tuberculosis and wasting were documented for 409 (19%) and 523 (24%) patients, respectively. Median follow-up time was 1.5 years (range 0-8 years), with 3900 patient-years of follow-up. Over the period of observation, 134 patients (6%) died, 1324 (60%) remained in the cohort, 345 (16%) transferred out, and 387 (18%) defaulted. Infants <1 year of age accounted for 19% of deaths, with a 2.7-fold adjusted mortality hazard ratio relative to 5-15 year olds; median time to death was also shorter for infants (60 days) than older children (108 days). Survival analysis demonstrated younger age at ART initiation, more advanced HIV stage, and presence of tuberculosis to each be associated with shorter survival time. Among children <5 years, severe wasting (weight-for-height z-score </ = -3.0) was also associated with reduced survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Cumulative incidence of mortality was 5.2%, 7.1% and 7.7% after 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively, with disproportionate mortality in infants <1 year of age and those presenting with tuberculosis. These findings reinforce the urgent need for early diagnosis and treatment in this population, but also demonstrate that provision of pediatric care in a rural setting can yield outcomes comparable to more resourced urban settings of poor countries.

Profiles of HIV-infected anti-retroviral therapy naïve children from Mumbai, India

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the demographic profiles of human immunodifficiency virus (HIV) infected anti-retroviral therapy (ART) naïve children in our hospital and their relations to the clinical, immunological and nutritional status.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in an Integrated Counselling and Testing Center (ICTC) at a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai. ART naïve HIV positive children were enrolled in the study. The demographic profiles, clinical features, immunological (CD4%/CD4 count) and nutritional status of these children were recorded. The agreement between clinical, immunological and nutritional staging was determined using Cohen's kappa test.

RESULTS

In 192 HIV-infected ART naive children enrolled with a median age of 9 years (range 3 months-14 years), 97.4% acquired infection through vertical transmission. The most common clinical presentation was fever (39.6 %), followed by generalized lymphadenopathy (32.3%), cough (22.4%) and diarrhoea (9.9%). Tuberculosis was seen in 22.9% of the children. The agreement was fair between clinical and immunological staging, and slight between nutritional, immunological and clinical staging.

CONCLUSION

Perinatal transmission is the most common mode of acquiring HIV infection in children. The Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) program should be strengthened for lowering the transmission rate by providing extended ART to mothers during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Tuberculosis remains a major concern in HIV-infected children. The poor correlation between WHO clinical and immunological staging emphasizes the importance of making CD4 facilities available in HIV prevalent areas. Malnutrition cannot be used as a surrogate marker for predicting stage or severity as it is common at all stages of HIV disease.

Tuberculosis, before and after Antiretroviral Therapy among HIV-Infected Children in Nigeria: What Are the Risk Factors?

INTRODUCTION

In Nigeria, there is a dearth of pediatric data on the risk factors associated with tuberculosis (TB), before and after antiretroviral therapy (ART).

METHODOLOGY

A retrospective observational cohort study, between October 2010 and December 2013, at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Nigeria. TB was noted among children less than 15 years of age at ART enrolment (prevalent TB-PrevTB), within 6 months (early incident tuberculosis-EITB) and after 6 months (late incident tuberculosis-LITB) of a 12-month follow-up on ART. Potential risk factors for PrevTB and incident TB were assessed using the multivariate logistic and Cox regression models respectively.

RESULTS

Among 368 HIV-1 infected children, PrevTB was diagnosed in 73 children (19.8%). Twenty-eight EITB cases were diagnosed among 278 children over 132 person-years (py) with an EITB rate of 21.2/100 py. Twelve LITB cases were seen among 224 children over 221.9 py with a LITB rate of 5.4/100 py. A significant reduction in the incidence rates of TB was found over time (75%, p˂ 0.001). Young age of children (12-35 months, aOR; 24, 95% CI; 4.1-146.6, p ˂ 0.001; 36-59 months, aOR;21, 95%CI;4.0-114.3, p ˂ 0.001); history of TB in children (aOR; 29, 95% CI; 7.3-119.4, P˂ 0.001); severe immunosuppression (aOR;38, 95% CI;12-123.2,p ˂ 0.001); oropharyngeal candidiasis (aOR;3.3, 95% CI; 1.4-8.0, p = 0.009) and sepsis (aOR; 3.2, 95% CI;1.0-9.6, p = 0.043) increased the risk of PrevTB. Urban residency was protective against EITB (aHR; 0.1, 95% CI; 0.0-0.4, p = 0.001). Virological failure (aHR; 4.7, 95% CI; 1.3-16.5, p ˂ 0.001) and sepsis (aHR; 26, 95% CI; 5.3-131.9, p ˂ 0.001) increased the risk of LITB.

CONCLUSIONS

In our cohort of HIV-infected children, a significant reduction in cases of incident TB was seen following a 12-month use of ART. After ART initiation, TB screening should be optimized among children of rural residency, children with sepsis, and those with poor virological response to ART.

Tuberculosis incidence is high in HIV-infected African children but is reduced by co-trimoxazole and time on antiretroviral therapy

BACKGROUND

There are few data on tuberculosis (TB) incidence in HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Observational studies suggest co-trimoxazole prophylaxis may prevent TB, but there are no randomized data supporting this. The ARROW trial, which enrolled HIV-infected children initiating ART in Uganda and Zimbabwe and included randomized cessation of co-trimoxazole prophylaxis, provided an opportunity to estimate the incidence of TB over time, to explore potential risk factors for TB, and to evaluate the effect of stopping co-trimoxazole prophylaxis.

METHODS

Of 1,206 children enrolled in ARROW, there were 969 children with no previous TB history. After 96 weeks on ART, children older than 3 years were randomized to stop or continue co-trimoxazole prophylaxis; 622 were eligible and included in the co-trimoxazole analysis. Endpoints, including TB, were adjudicated blind to randomization by an independent endpoint review committee (ERC). Crude incidence rates of TB were estimated and potential risk factors, including age, sex, center, CD4, weight, height, and initial ART strategy, were explored in multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

After a median of 4 years follow-up (3,632 child-years), 69 children had an ERC-confirmed TB diagnosis. The overall TB incidence was 1.9/100 child-years (95% CI, 1.5-2.4), and was highest in the first 12 weeks following ART initiation (8.8/100 child-years (5.2-13.4) versus 1.2/100 child-years (0.8-1.6) after 52 weeks). A higher TB risk was independently associated with younger age (<3 years), female sex, lower pre-ART weight-for-age Z-score, and current CD4 percent; fewer TB diagnoses were observed in children on maintenance triple nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) ART compared to standard non-NRTI + 2NRTI. Over the median 2 years of follow-up, there were 20 ERC-adjudicated TB cases among 622 children in the co-trimoxazole analysis: 5 in the continue arm and 15 in the stop arm (hazard ratio (stop: continue) = 3.0 (95% CI, 1.1-8.3), P = 0.028). TB risk was also independently associated with lower current CD4 percent (P <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

TB incidence varies over time following ART initiation, and is particularly high during the first 3 months post-ART, reinforcing the importance of TB screening prior to starting ART and use of isoniazid preventive therapy once active TB is excluded. HIV-infected children continuing co-trimoxazole prophylaxis after 96 weeks of ART were diagnosed with TB less frequently, highlighting a potentially important role of co-trimoxazole in preventing TB.

Prevalence of and risk factors for pulmonary tuberculosis among newly diagnosed HIV-1 infected Nigerian children

INTRODUCTION

Studies on the prevalence of and risk factors for tuberculosis (TB) among newly diagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children in sub-Saharan Africa are scarce and in Nigeria there is paucity of reported data. We determined the prevalence of and risk factors for pulmonary TB (PTB) in newly diagnosed (treatment-naïve) HIV-1 infected children at the pediatric HIV clinic of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Nigeria.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of 876 children, aged 2 months - 13 years, diagnosed with HIV-1 infection between July 2005 and December 2012, of which 286 were diagnosed with PTB at presentation after TB screening. The study site was the AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN)-supported Pediatric HIV clinic at JUTH, Jos. A multivariate forward logistic regression modelling was used to identify risk factors for PTB-HIV co-infection.

RESULTS

The prevalence of PTB-HIV co-infection was 32% (286/876). Severe immunosuppression (SI) and World Health Organization (WHO) HIV clinical stage 3/4 were identified as independent risk factors for PTB-HIV co-infection in HIV infected children. The odds of PTB-HIV co-infection was increased two-fold in HIV-infected children with WHO clinical stage 3/4 compared to those with stage 1/2 (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.76 [1.31-2.37], p<0.001) and 1.5-fold in children with SI compared to those without SI (AOR 1.52 [1.12-2.06], p=0.007).

CONCLUSION

In our setting, the burden of PTB was high among newly diagnosed HIV-infected children, and late WHO HIV clinical stage and severe immunosuppression were associated with PTB-HIV co-infection. Therefore there is a clear need to improve strategies for early diagnosis of both HIV and PTB to optimize clinical outcomes.

Tuberculosis: opportunities and challenges for the 90-90-90 targets in HIV-infected children

INTRODUCTION

In 2014 the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS defined the ambitious 90-90-90 targets for 2020, in which 90% of people living with HIV must be diagnosed, 90% of those diagnosed should be on sustained therapy and 90% of those on therapy should have an undetectable viral load. Children are considered to be a key focus population for these targets. This review will highlight key components of the epidemiology, prevention and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) in HIV-infected children in the era of increasing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and their relation to the 90-90-90 targets.

DISCUSSION

The majority of HIV-infected children live in countries with a high burden of TB. In settings with a high burden of both diseases such as in sub-Saharan Africa, up to 57% of children diagnosed with and treated for TB are HIV-infected. TB results in substantial morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected children, so preventing TB and optimizing its treatment in HIV-infected children will be important to ensuring good long-term outcomes. Prevention of TB can be achieved by increasing access to ART to both children and adults, and appropriate provision of isoniazid preventative therapy. Co-treatment of HIV and TB is complicated by drug-drug interactions particularly due to the use of rifampicin; these may compromise virologic outcomes if appropriate corrective actions are not taken. There remain substantial operational challenges, and improved integration of paediatric TB and HIV services, including with antenatal and routine under-five care, is an important priority.

CONCLUSIONS

TB may be an important barrier to achievement of the 90-90-90 targets, but specific attention to TB care in HIV-infected children may provide important opportunities to enhance the care of both TB and HIV in children.

Incidence and Predictors of Tuberculosis among HIV Positive Children at University of Gondar Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A Retrospective Follow-Up Study

Background. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of tuberculosis and its predictors among HIV positive children. Methods. A six-year retrospective follow-up study was conducted among HIV infected children aged less than 15 years. Life table was used to estimate the cumulative probability of tuberculosis free survival. Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify predictors of tuberculosis. Results. A total of 271 HIV positive children were followed for six years and produced 1100.50 person-years of observation. During the follow-up period 52 new TB cases occurred. The overall incidence density of TB was 4.9 per 100 PY. Inappropriate vaccination [AHR: 8.03 (95% CI; 4.61–13.97)], ambulatory functional status [AHR: 1.99 (95% CI; 1.04–3.81)], and having baseline anemia [AHR: 2.23 (95% CI; 1.19–4.15)] were important predictors of time to TB occurrence. Conclusion. TB incidence rate was high. Early diagnosis and treatment of anemia and strengthening immunization program would reduce the risk of TB occurrence.

Tuberculosis in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children starting antiretroviral therapy in Côte d'Ivoire

SETTING

In Côte d'Ivoire, more than 2000 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected children aged <15 years were started on antiretroviral therapy (ART) during 2004-2008.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate tuberculosis (TB) incidence and determinants among ART enrollees.

DESIGN

A nationally representative retrospective cohort study among 2110 children starting ART during 2004-2008 at 29 facilities.

RESULTS

At ART initiation, the median age was 5.1 years; 82% had World Health Organization Stage III/IV, median CD4% was 11%, 42% were severely undernourished (weight-for-age Z-score [WAZ] <-3), and 150 (7%) were taking anti-tuberculosis treatment. Documentation of TB screening before ART declined from 63% to 46% during 2004-2008. Children taking anti-tuberculosis treatment at ART enrollment had a lower median CD4% (9.0% vs. 11.0%, P = 0.037) and a higher prevalence of WAZ <-3 (59% vs. 40%, P < 0.001). Among children considered TB-free at ART enrollment, TB incidence was 6.28/100 child-years during days 0-90 of ART, declining to 0.56/100 child-years after 180 days. Children with one unit higher WAZ at ART enrollment had 13% lower TB incidence (adjusted HR 0.87, 95%CI 0.77-1.00, P= 0.047).

CONCLUSIONS

Ensuring clinician compliance with TB screening before ART and ensuring earlier ART initiation before children suffer from advanced HIV disease and nutritional compromise might reduce TB morbidity during ART.

Severe manifestations of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-infected children initiating antiretroviral therapy before 2 years of age

BACKGROUND

Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV-infected infants reduces mortality and opportunistic infections including tuberculosis (TB). However, young HIV-infected children remain at high risk of TB disease following mycobacterial infection. We document the spectrum of TB disease in HIV-infected children <2 years of age on ART.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study; records of children <2 years of age initiating routine ART at Tygerberg Children's Hospital, Cape Town, January 2003-December 2010 were reviewed. Clinical data at ART initiation (baseline) and TB episodes after ART initiation, to June 2012, were recorded. TB immune reconstitution syndrome (TB-IRIS) and incident TB were defined as TB diagnosed within 3 months, and >3 months after, ART initiation respectively. Baseline characteristics were compared in children with TB-IRIS and those with incident TB.

RESULTS

In 494 children, median follow-up time on ART was 10.7 months. Fifty-five TB treatment episodes occurred after ART initiation: 23 (42%) TB-IRIS (incidence 21.9/100 person years (py)) and 32 (58%) incident TB (incidence 3.9/100 py). Children with TB-IRIS and those with incident TB had similar baseline characteristics. Eight of 10 cases of extrapulmonary TB were severe: 4 IRIS (2 meningitis, 1 disseminated, 1 pericarditis) and 4 incident cases (1 each miliary, meningitis, pericarditis and spinal). Fifty-one children (10%) died (mortality rate 5.96/100 py). Starting ART at <1 year of age approached significance as a risk factor for TB-IRIS (adjusted OR (AOR) 8.64, p=0.06); weight-for-age Z score <-2 predicted death (AOR 6.37, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Severe TB manifestations were observed among young HIV-infected children on ART.

Impact of expanded antiretroviral use on incidence and prevalence of tuberculosis in children with HIV in Kenya

SETTING

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected children. Recent ART recommendations have increased the number of children on ART.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence and incidence of TB in HIV-infected children after the implementation of expanded ART guidelines.

DESIGN

A prospective cohort study including HIV-infected children aged 6 weeks to 14 years was conducted in Kenya. The primary outcome measure was clinically diagnosed TB. Study participants were screened for prevalent TB at enrollment using Kenya's national guidelines and followed at monthly intervals to detect incident TB. Predictors of TB were assessed using logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS

Of 689 participants (median age 6.4 years), 509 (73.9%) were on ART at baseline. There were 51 cases of prevalent TB (7.4%) and 10 incident cases, with over 720.3 child-years of observation (incidence 1.4 per 100 child-years). Months on ART (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.91, P = 0.003; aOR 0.91, P< 0.001) and months in care before ART (aHR 0.87, P= 0.001; aOR 0.92, P < 0.001) were protective against incident and prevalent TB.

CONCLUSIONS

ART was protective against TB in this cohort of HIV-infected children with high levels of ART use. Optimal TB prevention strategies should emphasize early ART in children.

Tuberculosis Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome in children initiating Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV infection: A systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

People with HIV initiating combination antiretroviral therapy are at risk for tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS). While this syndrome has been well researched in adults, little is known about the incidence, case fatality, underlying immunopathology and treatment approaches in children.

METHODS

Major databases were searched for articles related to TB-IRIS in children. Data were abstracted using standardized forms.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies were identified: 6 retrospective and 2 prospective cohort studies, 1 cross-sectional study, 3 case reports and 1 case series. In total, 303 cases of TB-IRIS were described, of which 270 were unmasking TB-IRIS, 12 paradoxical TB-IRIS and 21 were not classifiable due to lack of key information. None of the cohort studies had investigation of TB-IRIS as its primary aim. Nine studies were from Africa, 3 from Asia and 1 from Latin America. Age at cART initiation (reported by 12 studies) ranged from 1 month to 16 years. Median time from start of cART to IRIS diagnosis (reported by 8 studies) ranged from 8 days to 16 weeks. Few deaths attributable to TB-IRIS were recorded. Treatment was only discussed in 2 case studies, both of which reported children receiving corticosteroids. No studies evaluated risk factors for, or immunopathogenesis of, pediatric TB-IRIS.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a paucity of information available on TB-IRIS in children. Future research assessing incidence, risk factors, case fatality and optimal treatment or prevention strategies of TB-IRIS is needed.

Incidence and associated factors of pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-infected children after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in China: a retrospective study

China is a country with high tuberculosis (TB) incidence but relatively low HIV prevalence. However, due to difficulties in diagnosis and reporting, true burden of HIV-associated TB in children is unknown. The objective of this study was to describe the incidence of pulmonary TB (PTB) after antiretroviral therapy (ART) and to study risk factors. A retrospective study was performed based on routinely collected data from China national pediatric free antiretroviral treatment database. A total of 3365 children under 15 years on ART from July 2005 to October 2012 were included. Multivariable logistic regression was used to detect associated factors. Two thousand nine hundred and ninety (89%) children got infected from HIV-positive mother, with median age of 6.7 (4.1, 10.0) years at highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation in this program. Seventy-seven (2.3%) children were diagnosed with PTB after ART during 7.3 years cohort observation. Median time of occurrence was 212 (30-514) days. Overall incidence was 0.83 (0.65-1.01)/100 person-years (py), with the peak of 3.6/100 py in the first 3 months after antiretroviral treatment. WHO stage IV at baseline showed 2 (95% CI 1.0-6.8) times more risk for developing TB. Late clinical stage at ART initiation was shown to relate with TB incidence. PTB coinfection leads to higher mortality. Early diagnosis and treatment of HIV are highly required to reduce HIV-associated morbidity and mortality due to TB.

Risk factors for mortality in Malawian children with human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis co-infection

SETTING

A large urban pediatric human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi.

OBJECTIVE

To identify demographic and clinical risk factors for mortality in children co-infected with HIV and tuberculosis (TB).

DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study of HIV-infected children (aged <18 years) enrolled between October 2004 and October 2010 with at least one current or historical TB diagnosis. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine factors associated with mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 1561 patients met the inclusion criteria, representing 32% of patients ever enrolled. Median age at TB diagnosis was 3.8 years (interquartile range 1.5-7.4); 60.9% had severe immune suppression and 47.6% of those with available data had some degree of acute malnutrition at TB diagnosis. Of the 1113 patients with known outcomes, 225 (20.2%) died. Children with TB-HIV co-infection not initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART) at any time were 8.8 times more likely to die compared to those initiated on ART 0-2 months after initiation of anti-tuberculosis treatment (adjusted OR 8.83, 95%CI 4.42-17.63). Severe immunosuppression and World Health Organization Stage IV were also associated with mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric TB-HIV co-infection is common and mortality is high in this cohort of Malawian children. Prompt initiation of ART should be emphasized in this high-risk patient population.

Impact of the antiretroviral treatment program on the burden of hospitalization for culture-confirmed tuberculosis in South African children: a time-series analysis

BACKGROUND

The HIV epidemic increased the burden of tuberculosis (TB) in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the impact that scaling-up of the public-funded antiretroviral treatment (ART) program had on incidence of hospitalization for culture-confirmed and overall-TB in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children from 2005 to 2009.

METHODS

The study was undertaken in Soweto, South Africa, where ART coverage of HIV-infected children increased from 43% in 2005 to 84% by 2009. Trends in incidence of hospitalization for clinically diagnosed and culture-confirmed TB in children 3 months to <15 years of age, identified through laboratory and electronic databases, were analyzed by comparing crude incidence and regression analysis.

RESULTS

The incidence (per 100,000) of culture-confirmed TB declined by 63.1% from 2005 (69.8) compared with 2009 (25.8; P < 0.0001). This included a 70.6% reduction between 2005 and 2009 among HIV-infected children (incidence: 1566.3 versus 460.7, respectively; P < 0.0001) and 41.3% decrease in HIV-uninfected children (18.7 versus 11.0, respectively; P = 0.0003). The month-by-month rate of decline of culture-confirmed TB was 2.3% in HIV-infected and 1.1% in HIV-uninfected children over the study period. The residual burden of TB remained 42-fold greater in HIV-infected children, 78% of whom were severely immune compromised, compared with HIV-uninfected children by 2009.

CONCLUSION

Increase in ART coverage was associated with significant decline in TB hospitalizations in HIV-infected children. This reduction may also in part have been due to reduced Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission resulting from increased ART access among HIV-infected adults, which may have contributed to the reduction of culture-confirmed TB in HIV-uninfected children.

Effects of rifampin-based antituberculosis therapy on plasma efavirenz concentrations in children vary by CYP2B6 genotype

OBJECTIVES

An efavirenz-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen is preferred for children more than 3 years of age with tuberculosis. However, rifampin, a key component of antituberculosis therapy, induces CYP2B6. An increased dose of efavirenz is recommended in adults weighing more than 50 kg who require rifampin, but there is scant information in children being treated for tuberculosis.

DESIGN

Plasma efavirenz concentrations were compared in 40 children during concomitant treatment for tuberculosis and HIV-1, after stopping rifampicin, and in a control group of children without tuberculosis. Associations with antituberculosis treatment, metabolizer genotype (based on CYP2B6 516G→T, 983T→C, and 15582C→T), weight, and time after dose were evaluated.

RESULTS

Compared to children with extensive metabolizer genotypes, efavirenz concentrations were increased 1.42-fold (95% confidence interval, CI 0.94–2.15) and 2.85-fold (95% CI 1.80–4.52) in children with intermediate and slow metabolizer genotypes, respectively. Concomitant antituberculosis treatment increased efavirenz concentrations 1.49-fold (95% CI 1.10–2.01) in children with slow metabolizer genotypes, but did not affect efavirenz concentrations in extensive or intermediate metabolizer genotypes. After adjustment for dose/kg, each kilogram of weight was associated with a 2.8% (95% CI 0.9–4.7) decrease in efavirenz concentrations. Despite higher milligram per kilogram doses, a higher proportion of children in the lowest weight band (10–13.9 kg) had efavirenz concentrations less than 1.0 mg/l than larger children.

CONCLUSION

Antituberculosis treatment was not associated with reduced efavirenz concentrations in children, which does not support increased efavirenz doses. Children with slow metabolizer genotype have increased efavirenz concentrations during antituberculosis treatment, likely due to isoniazid inhibiting enzymes involved in accessory metabolic pathways for efavirenz.

Paediatric HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa: clinical presentation and 2-year outcomes stratified by age group

OBJECTIVES

To examine age differences in mortality and programme attrition amongst paediatric patients treated in four African HIV programmes.

METHODS

Longitudinal analysis of data from patients enrolled in HIV care. Two-year mortality and programme attrition rates per 1000 person-years stratified by age group (<2, 2-4 and 5-15 years) were calculated. Associations between outcomes and age and other individual-level factors were studied using multiple Cox proportional hazards (mortality) and Poisson (attrition) regression models.

RESULTS

Six thousand two hundred and sixty-one patients contributed 9500 person-years; 27.1% were aged <2 years, 30.1% were 2-4, and 42.8% were 5-14 years old. At programme entry, 45.3% were underweight and 12.6% were in clinical stage 4. The highest mortality and attrition rates (98.85 and 244.00 per 1000 person-years), and relative ratios (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.92, 95% CI 1.56-2.37; incidence ratio [aIR] = 2.10, 95% CI 1.86-2.37, respectively, compared with the 5- to 14-year group) were observed amongst the youngest children. Increased mortality and attrition were also associated with advanced clinical stage, underweight and diagnosis of tuberculosis at programme entry.

CONCLUSIONS

These results highlight the need to increase access, diagnose and provide early HIV care and to accelerate antiretroviral treatment initiation for those eligible. Adapted education and support for children and their families would also be important.