Exploring prognosis in chronic relapsing visceral leishmaniasis among HIV-infected patients: Circulating Leishmania DNA

Acta Tropica
Gláucia F CotaAna Rabello

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) affecting HIV-infected patients is considered a challenging condition because of its high mortality and relapse rates. The approach of this condition is still surrounded by many uncertainties, especially regarding the criteria to institute and discontinue secondary prophylaxis for VL. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Leishmania parasitism kinetic assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a possible tool in the prognostic assessment in a context in which patients are receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy and secondary prophylaxis. A prospective observation of Leishmania-HIV-co infected patients was performed and two groups with distinct clinical prognosis unpredicted by their CD4 count at the moment of VL diagnosis and not related to their HIV load control were confirmed. Relapsing (R) and non-relapsing (NR) patients had similar antiviral therapy use rates, CD4 lymphocyte count medians and HIV load levels at VL-diagnosis. At the 12-month follow-up, R-patients presented a significantly lower CD4 lymphocyte count than NR-patients, without difference in HIV load control. The time between HIV and VL diagnoses was longer in the R than NR-group. Comparison between Kaplan-Meier relapse...Continue Reading

Citations

Dec 24, 2018·AIDS Research and Therapy·Antonio MastroianniStefania Varani
Jun 24, 2018·Biochemical Society Transactions·Marissa L Maciej-HulmeHelen P Price
Feb 14, 2021·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·Luka VerrestThomas P C Dorlo
Apr 21, 2021·BMC Infectious Diseases·Renata Caetano KuschnirAlda Maria Da-Cruz
Jul 1, 2021·Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine·Grace GriffertyRichard Wamai

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Antivirals (ASM)

Antivirals are medications that are used specifically for treating viral infections. Discover the latest research on antivirals here.

Antivirals

Antivirals are medications that are used specifically for treating viral infections. Discover the latest research on antivirals here.