High cancer-related mortality in an urban, predominantly African-American, HIV-infected population

Clinical events associated with poor CD4+ T-cell recovery in people living with HIV following ART: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly improved outcomes for people living with HIV (PLWH), but poor CD4+ T-cell recovery remains a challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between poor CD4+ T-cell recovery and the morbidity of clinical events (CEs) in PLWH after ART initiation.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive search of the EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases up to February 19, 2024, and included studies that reported the number of CEs along with the CD4 count at the time of the CEs or the most recent CD4 count prior to the CEs. A random-effects model was employed for meta-analysis to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CEs at different CD4 count thresholds.

FINDINGS

We included 15 studies with 54,766 PLWH and reported a significant inverse correlation between CD4+ T-cell counts and the morbidity of both AIDS-defining events (ADEs) and non-AIDS-defining infections (NADIs). However, CD4+ T-cell counts were not significantly associated with non-AIDS-defining noninfections (NADNIs). Compared with individuals with normal CD4 counts (>500 cells/μL), those with CD4 counts <200 cells/μL and 200-350 cells/μL exhibited higher ADEs morbidity, with ORs of 7·04 (95% CI: 1·77-28·03) and 1·63 (95% CI: 1·36-1·97), respectively. Similarly, individuals with CD4 counts <200 cells/μL showed a higher morbidity of NADIs (OR = 2·82, 95% CI: 1·50-5·31). However, no significant difference in NADNI morbidity was observed between groups with poor CD4+ T-cell recovery and those with normal CD4 counts.

INTERPRETATION

This meta-analysis revealed an inverse relationship between CD4+ T-cell counts and morbidity associated with ADEs and NADIs in PLWH after ART initiation, with key thresholds of 350 cells/μL and 200 cells/μL. No significant associations were found between CD4 counts and NADNIs. These results highlight the need for comprehensive patient care that goes beyond monitoring only CD4 counts.

Cancer in patients with and without HIV infection in the national cancer registry of Rwanda

OBJECTIVE

As antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been widely scaled up in Rwanda, life expectancies among people with HIV (PWH) have increased. With increasing viral suppression, AIDS-defining cancers (ADCs) typically decrease; however, as the PWH population ages, non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) will be expected to increase. The aim of this study was to compare cancer diagnoses between PWH and patients without HIV in Rwanda and to describe the changes in the number and types of cancer over time.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

Rwanda National Cancer Registry (RNCR) recorded the HIV status, primary site, and morphological description for cancer diagnoses from 2007 to 2018. Descriptive analyses were carried out by cancer group (HIV+ and HIV-). A portion of patients whose HIV status was unknown (63%) were excluded from the present analysis.

RESULTS

Among the 20 258 cases registered in the Registry, there were 1048 PWH and 6359 HIV- individuals. The proportion of ADCs were significantly higher in the PWH group compared to those without HIV ( P  < 0.001). Among PWH, there was a longitudinal increase in NADCs and a decrease in ADCs ( P  < 0.001) over time. Among the ADCs in the PWH group, there was a significant decline in Kaposi sarcoma cases over time.

CONCLUSIONS

The study demonstrates a decreasing frequency of ADCs driven by declines in Kaposi sarcoma diagnoses and an increased frequency of NADCs among PWH in Rwanda over time. These findings support a need for focusing early detection and management efforts on NADCs, as they begin to play a larger role in the disease processes that affect the aging PWH population.

Epidemiology of ageing with HIV: what can we learn from cohorts?

: The last decade has seen a dramatic change in the demographic structure of the population of people living with HIV (PLWH). The majority of PLWH who start treatment with combination antiretroviral therapy now have good virological and immunological responses and this has resulted in improvements in life expectancy. In addition, there have also been continued new HIV diagnoses (and new HIV infections) in those aged more than 50 years. The average age of those attending HIV clinics has therefore increased, with this trend expected to continue into the future. As the cohort of PLWH has aged, so the spectrum and burden of age-associated noncommunicable comorbidities (AANCCs) in the cohort has increased. PLWH are likely, therefore, to have increased healthcare needs for the foreseeable future. Although it appears that the average age at diagnosis of several AANCC is lower in PLWH, current evidence remains insufficient to demonstrate that HIV infection leads to either accelerated or accentuated aging. The results from several well designed longitudinal cohorts, with appropriately matched control groups, will provide more robust evidence to confirm a potential impact of HIV on the incidence of these AANCC. However, regardless of the impact of HIV itself, the role of other, non-HIV, factors is becoming increasingly important, with coinfection with other viral infections and lifestyle factors playing an increasing role in the development of many AANCC. It is likely that attempts to reduce smoking prevalence and obesity may be associated with important reductions in the incidence of some of these events in the future.

Virologic and Immunologic Outcomes in HIV-Infected Patients with Cancer

Achievement and maintenance of virologic suppression after cancer diagnosis have been associated with improved outcomes in HIV-infected patients, but few studies have analyzed the virologic and immunologic outcomes after a cancer diagnosis. All HIV-infected patients with a diagnosis of cancer between 2000 and 2011 in an urban clinic population in Baltimore, MD, were included for review. HIV-related outcomes (HIV-1 RNA viral load and CD4 cell count) were abstracted and compared for patients with non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) and AIDS-defining cancers (ADCs). Four hundred twelve patients with baseline CD4 or HIV-1 RNA viral load data were analyzed. There were 122 (30%) diagnoses of ADCs and 290 (70%) NADCs. Patients with NADCs had a higher median age (54 years vs. 43 years, p < .0001) and a higher frequency of hepatitis C coinfection (52% vs. 36%, p = .002). The median baseline CD4 was lower for patients with ADCs (137 cells/mm³ vs. 314 cells/mm³) and patients with NADCs were more likely to be suppressed at cancer diagnosis (59% vs. 25%) (both p < .0001). The median CD4 for patients with NADCs was significantly higher than patients with ADCs at 6 and 12 months after diagnosis and higher at 18 and 24 months, but not significantly. Patients with an NADC had 2.19 times (95% CI 1.04-4.62) the adjusted odds of being suppressed at 12 months and 2.17 times the odds (95% CI 0.92-5.16) at 24 months compared to patients with an ADC diagnosis. For patients diagnosed with ADCs and NADCs in this urban clinic setting, both virologic suppression and immunologic recovery improved over time. Patients with NADCs had the highest odds of virologic suppression in the 2 years following cancer diagnosis.

The role of viral co-infection in HIV-associated non-AIDS-related cancers

HIV-infected individuals are at increased risk for most types of cancer, including those typically classified as non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs). This increased risk is likely multifactorial, but a prominent risk factor for the increased rate of some cancers is co-infection with oncogenic viruses. Anal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma are three of the most common NADCs, and they are associated with co-infection with human papillomavirus, hepatitis B and C, and Epstein Barr virus, respectively. This review will examine the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and future trends around these virally associated NADCs frequently found in HIV-infected individuals.

Prevalence and mortality of cancer among HIV-infected inpatients in Beijing, China

Background

Cancer is responsible for elevated HIV-related morbidity and mortality. Research on HIV-infected patients with concurrent cancer is rare in China. The purpose of our study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with cancer among HIV-infected inpatients in Beijing, and to investigate the mortality and risk factors among HIV-infected inpatients with cancer.

Methods

Hospital records from a total of 1946 HIV-infected patients were collected from the Beijing Ditan Hospital. The data, from 2008 to 2013, were collected retrospectively. The cancer diagnoses included AIDS-defining cancers (ADC) and non-AIDS defining cancers (NADC). Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors predicting the concurrence of cancer with HIV. Mortality was examined using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

7.7 % (149 cases) of all HIV-infected inpatients had concurrent cancer at their first hospital admission; of those, 33.6 % (50 cases) had ADCs, and 66.4 % (99 cases) had NADCs. The most prevalent NADCs were Hodgkin’s lymphoma, gastrointestinal cancer, liver cancer, and lung cancer. Patients who did not accept antiretroviral therapy (ART) were more likely to suffer from cancer [AOR = 2.07 (1.42–3.01), p = 0.001]. Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that the survival probability of HIV-positive cancer patients was significantly lower than that of HIV-positive cancer-free patients (log-rank test, p < 0.001). For patients diagnosed with cancer, the mortality was also higher among those who did not receive ART [AHR = 2.19 (1.84–2.61), p < 0.001].

Conclusion

The prevalence of cancer concurrence among hospitalized HIV-infected patients was 7.7 %. Concurrent cancer also increased mortality among HIV-infected patients. ART was protective against concurrent cancer as well as mortality among HIV-infected cancer patients. These results highlight the importance of promoting cancer screening and early ART initiation among HIV-infected patients.

Patterns of HIV viremia and viral suppression before diagnosis of non-AIDS-defining cancers in HIV-infected individuals

Background

The association between HIV viremia and non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) is not well characterized. Viremia may contribute directly or indirectly to cancer development and may have a differential impact on various cancer types. Our objective was to characterize patterns of HIV viremia in a retrospective, urban, clinical cohort (N = 320) of patients diagnosed with NADCs.

Findings

The most common NADC’s were lung (n = 60), prostate (n = 47), oropharyngeal (n = 32), liver (n = 29), and anal cancer (n = 20) and Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 18). In the year before cancer diagnosis, 66 % of all patients were virally suppressed. Patients with oropharyngeal (70 %) and prostate cancer (78 %) had a higher proportion of visits with suppressed viral loads. Patients diagnosed with anal cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma were infrequently virally suppressed and more frequently had viral loads ≥5 log₁₀ copies/ml in the ten years prior to cancer diagnosis.

Conclusions

In this cohort of HIV-infected patients diagnosed with NADCs, there were important differences in the patterns and levels of viremia between the different NADCs in the ten years prior to cancer diagnosis. Patients with anal cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma had the highest proportion of high level viremia in the ten years before cancer and the lowest frequency of viral load suppression at cancer diagnosis.

Primary Care of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patient

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a disease that affects 1 million patients in the United States. Many excellent drug regimens exist that effectively suppress the viral load and improve immune function, but there are consequences of long-term antiviral therapy. In addition, patients with HIV tend to have much higher rates of chronic disease, substance abuse, and cancer. Thus, while expert care in the treatment of HIV remains critical, the skill set of a primary care provider in the prevention, detection, and management of acute and chronic illness is vital to the care of the HIV patient.

HIV-associated lymphoma sub-type distribution, immunophenotypes and survival in an urban clinic population

HIV-infected patients have an increased risk for both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. A retrospective cohort of all HIV-infected patients diagnosed with lymphoma in urban clinics from 2000-2013 was evaluated to characterize the distribution and determine effects of sub-type and immunophenotype on survival. Of 160 cases identified, 131 (82%) had complete information and were analyzed. The most common sub-types were diffuse large B cell (41%), Burkitt (21%) and Hodgkin lymphoma (18%). Advanced (78% stage III/IV) and extranodal disease (82%) at presentation were common. CD20 was the most commonly expressed immunophenotypic marker (89%). Overall mortality rate was high (26.1 per 100 person-years). Lower mortality was noted in CD10 + and CD20 + lymphomas, but differences were not statistically significant. After adjustment, low CD4 count (≤ 200) at diagnosis was associated with higher mortality (adjusted hazard ration (AHR) = 1.75; 95% CI = 1.00-3.61). Mortality in this cohort of patients with HIV-associated lymphomas was high and exceeds that from published data from the general population.

Cancer Knowledge and Opportunities for Education Among HIV-Infected Patients in an Urban Academic Medical Center

HIV-infected patients frequently present with advanced stage cancer. It is possible that late stage presentation may be related to lack of cancer knowledge and/or barriers to care. Questionnaires were administered to 285 adult HIV-infected patients to evaluate knowledge of cancer risk factors and symptoms and barriers to care between 2011 and 2012. Differences in mean and percent scores by group were assessed using a t test for independent samples and chi-square analysis, respectively. Respondents were predominantly male (64%), African-American (86%), and low income (60% < $10,000/year). Thirty-four (12%) had been diagnosed with cancer, and 169 (59%) had a family history of cancer. The mean knowledge score was 17.5 out of 24 questions (73%). Mean scores were not significantly different by sex, age, race, or income. Respondents with a college education scored significantly higher than those with less than a high school education (p < 0.01). In unadjusted analysis, a higher proportion of patients with a personal/family history of cancer (74%) scored in the highest quartile (>70% correct) compared to those without any personal history of cancer (62%) (p = 0.03). There was a higher level of cancer knowledge in this population compared to studies that have evaluated the HIV-uninfected population. Nevertheless, there were knowledge deficits, suggesting the need for further education about cancer to improve earlier detection rates and, ultimately, outcomes.

Two-year outcomes in initial survivors with acute liver failure: results from a prospective, multicentre study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The long-term clinical outcomes in initial survivors with acute liver failure (ALF) are not well known. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the 2-year clinical outcomes among initial survivors and liver transplant (LT) recipients that were alive 3 weeks after enrolment in the Acute Liver Failure Study Group (ALFSG).

METHODS

Outcomes in adult ALFSG patients that were enrolled between 1998 and 2010 were reviewed.

RESULTS

Two-year patient survival was significantly higher in the 262 LT recipients (92.4%) compared to the 306 acetaminophen (APAP) spontaneous survivors (SS) (89.5%) and 200 non-APAP SS (75.5%) (P < 0.0001). The causes of death were similar in the three groups but the time to death was significantly longer in the LT recipients (P < 0.0001). Independent predictors of 2-year mortality in the APAP group were a high serum phosphate level and patient age (c-statistic = 0.65 (0.54, 0.76)), patient age and days from jaundice to ALF onset in the non-APAP group (c-statistic = 0.69 (0.60, 0.78)), and patient age, days from jaundice, and higher coma grade in the LT recipients (c-statistic = 0.74 (0.61, 0.87)). The LT recipients were significantly more likely to be employed and have a higher educational level (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Two-year outcomes in initial survivors of ALF are generally good but non-APAP patients have a significantly lower survival which may relate to pre-existing medical comorbidities. Spontaneous survivors with APAP overdose experience substantial morbidity during follow-up from ongoing psychiatric and substance abuse issues.

γδ T Cells in HIV Disease: Past, Present, and Future

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 dysregulates γδ T cells as part of an immune evasion mechanism. Nearly three decades of research defined the effects of HIV on γδ T cells and how this impacts disease. With highly effective antiretroviral therapy providing virus suppression and longer survival, we expected a return to normal for γδ T cells. This is not the case. Even in patients with CD4 T cell reconstitution, normal γδ T cell levels and function are not recovered. The durable damage to Vδ2 T cells is paralleled by defects in NK, CD8 T cells, and dendritic cells. Whether these consequences of HIV stem from similar or distinct mechanisms are not known and effective means for recovering the full range of cellular immunity have not been discovered. These unanswered questions receive too little attention in the overall program of efforts to cure HIV this disease. Approved drugs capable of increasing Vδ2 T cell function are being tested in clinical trials for cancer and hold promise for restoring normal function in patients with HIV disease. The impetus for conducting clinical trials will come from understanding the significance of γδ T cells in HIV disease and what might be gained from targeted immunotherapy. This review traces the history and current progress of AIDS-related research on γδ T cells. We emphasize the damage to γδ T cells that persists despite effective virus suppression. These chronic immune deficits may be linked to the comorbidities of AIDS (cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, and others) and will hinder efforts to eradicate HIV by cytotoxic T or NK cell killing. Here, we focus on one subset of T cells that may be critical in the pathogenesis of HIV and an attractive target for new immune-based therapies.

Clinical presentation and outcomes of prostate cancer in an urban cohort of predominantly African American, human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients

OBJECTIVE

To determine the clinical presentation and outcomes of prostate cancer in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men compared with HIV-uninfected men in an urban setting.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of prostate cancer stage at diagnosis and mortality comparing HIV-infected patients with HIV-uninfected patients from 2000 to 2011 was carried out. Clinical features, HIV history, cancer presentation, and outcomes were reviewed. Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed to estimate the association between HIV status and mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 54 HIV-infected subjects were identified and reviewed, and 49 of them had complete data available; they were compared with 1496 HIV-uninfected subjects with prostate cancer. HIV-infected subjects were younger (median age, 60.7 vs 64 years) and had a higher proportion of African Americans (92% vs. 45%). An elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level (76%) was the predominant indication for biopsy; 10 patients (27%) with an elevated PSA level had normal findings on digital rectal examination. Eighteen men (37%) presented with stage III and IV disease compared with 14% in the general population (P <.001). Eight patients (16%) died of prostate cancer. Subjects with HIV progressed to death at a significantly faster rate than those in the general population (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-3.58).

CONCLUSION

HIV-infected patients in this cohort presented with more advanced stage disease compared with the general population even though the majority were detected by screening PSA. The overall mortality rate was higher for HIV-infected patients with prostate cancer after controlling for race, tumor stage at diagnosis, and age. Prostate cancer screening methods may need to be individualized for HIV-infected men.

Factors contributing to risk for cancer among HIV-infected individuals, and evidence that earlier combination antiretroviral therapy will alter this risk

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To critically appraise recent published literature about factors associated with cancer risk likely to be influenced by combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in HIV-infected individuals, and the potential of earlier cART initiation to reduce this risk.

RECENT FINDINGS

Factors leading to increased risk of non-AIDS-defining malignancies (NADMs) in particular remain poorly understood. Immunodeficiency appears to be key, whereas evidence is emerging that a direct pro-oncogenic effect of HIV, activated inflammatory and coagulation pathways, and cART toxicity may also contribute. By reducing HIV replication, improving immune function, and limiting chronic inflammation, cART initiation at higher CD4 cell counts may, therefore, reduce NADM risk. However, cART only partly normalizes enhanced inflammation and coagulation seen during HIV infection and conflicting laboratory and epidemiological data have been reported as to whether (and how) cART affects NADM risk. Furthermore, secondary analyses of randomized controlled trials comparing early versus delayed cART initiation were inconclusive.

SUMMARY

Continuous epidemiological surveillance is warranted to monitor trends in cancer incidence among HIV-infected individuals and to better understand the impact of earlier cART on NADM risk. The role of adjuvant anti-inflammatory or antithrombotic therapies to reduce cancer risk deserves further investigation.

Factors associated with cancer incidence and with all-cause mortality after cancer diagnosis among human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons during the combination antiretroviral therapy era

Background.

 Little is known about survival and factors associated with mortality after cancer diagnosis among persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Methods.

 Using Poisson regression, we analyzed incidence rates of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining cancers (ADC), non-AIDS-defining infection-related cancers (NADCI), and non-AIDS-defining noninfection-related cancers (NADCNI) among HIV Outpatient Study participants seen at least twice from 1996–2010. All-cause mortality within each cancer category and by calendar period (1996–2000, 2001–2005, 2006–2010) were examined using Kaplan-Meier survival methods and log-rank tests. We identified risk factors for all-cause mortality using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models.

Results.

 Among 8350 patients, 627 were diagnosed with 664 cancers. Over the 3 time periods, the age- and sex-adjusted incidence rates for ADC and NADCNI declined (both P < .001) and for NADCI did not change (P = .13). Five-year survival differed by cancer category (ADC, 54.5%; NADCI, 65.8%; NADCNI, 65.9%; P = .018), as did median CD4 cell count (107, 241, and 420 cells/mm³; P < .001) and median log₁₀ viral load (4.1, 2.3, and 2.0 copies/mL; P < .001) at cancer diagnosis, respectively. Factors independently associated with increased mortality for ADC were lower nadir CD4 cell count (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–6.59) and detectable viral load (≥400 copies/mL; HR = 1.72 [95% CI, 1.01–2.94]) and for NADCNI, age (HR = 1.50 [95% CI, 1.16–1.94]), non-Hispanic black race (HR = 1.92 [95% CI, 1.15–3.24]), lower nadir CD4 cell count (HR = 1.77 [95% CI, 1.07–2.94]), detectable viral load (HR = 1.96 [95% CI, 1.18–3.24]), and current or prior tobacco use (HR = 3.18 [95% CI, 1.77–5.74]).

Conclusions.

 Since 1996, ADC and NADCNI incidence rates have declined. Survival after cancer diagnosis has increased with concomitant increases in CD4 cell count in recent years. Advances in HIV therapy, including early initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy, may help reduce mortality risk among HIV-infected persons with cancer.

Human immunodeficiency virus-associated lung malignancies

This review of lung malignancies in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) briefly highlights key epidemiologic and clinical features in the pulmonary involvement of AIDS-defining malignancies of Kaposi sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Then, focusing on non-AIDS defining lung cancer, the epidemiology and mechanisms, clinical presentation, pathology, treatment and outcomes, and prevention of HIV-associated lung cancer are discussed. Finally, the important knowledge gaps and future directions for research related to HIV-associated lung malignancies are highlighted.