Hepatic pathology in AIDS: a pathological study from Mumbai, India

Does Cryptococcus neoformans infection alter antifungal distribution: an animal model exploring pharmacokinetic changes

AIM

Assessing the disseminated meningitis caused by Cryptoccocus neoformans in Wistar rats and its impact on antifungal distribution by microdialysis (µD).

MATERIALS & METHODS

The yeast presence was investigated in different tissues by histological and microbiological assays, and biochemical parameters such as urea, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), creatinine, creatine kinase (CK), creatinine, albumin level, leukocyte counts, and brain vascular permeability (Evans blue test) were evaluated in healthy and infected groups. Levels of fluconazole reached in the animal's brain were determined by µD.

RESULTS

Differences in albumin, urea, GPT, and CK between healthy and infected animals were observed in the levels of Evans blue as well as in the brain (0.51 vs 1.50 µg/gbrain). The drugs' distribution in the brain of infected animals was higher than that in the brain of healthy ones (ft = 1.37 vs ft = 0.54).

CONCLUSION

The model validated presents characteristics similar to those observed in patients and can be applied to pharmacokinetic investigations.

Liver involvement in human immunodeficiency virus infection

The advances in management of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) with highly effective anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) have resulted in increased longevity of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. AIDS-related illnesses now account for less than 50 % of the deaths, and liver diseases have emerged as the leading cause of death in patients with HIV infection. Chronic viral hepatitis, drug-related hepatotoxicity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and opportunistic infections are the common liver diseases that are seen in HIV-infected individuals. Because of the shared routes of transmission, co-infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are very common in HIV-infected persons. Hepatitis C is the most common viral hepatitis seen in HIV-infected patients. With the availability of directly acting agents, treatment outcome of HCV is comparable to that seen in non HIV-infected patients. Careful monitoring is required for drug interactions and drug-induced hepatotoxicity and modification of drugs should be done where necessary. The results of liver transplantation in select HIV-infected patients can be comparable with those of HIV-negative patients.

Changing clinical profile and factors associated with liver enzyme abnormalities among HIV-infected persons

The spectrum of liver disease among HIV-infected patients is changing. In the era of antiretroviral therapy, opportunistic infections are diminishing and deranged liver function appears to be due usually to drug-induced liver injury, alcohol, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or chronic hepatitis B. To test this hypothesis, 98 HIV-positive patients with deranged liver function were compared with matched HIV-positive patients with normal liver function and likewise matched HIV-negative patients with normal liver function tests.

A clinicopathological cohort study of liver pathology in 301 patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Liver disease complicates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome; however, liver pathology data are limited, particularly from high HIV prevalence countries. We investigated the spectrum and clinicopathological correlates of liver pathology in a high HIV burden setting. In a single-center study, all HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome patients with complete clinical and demographic data who underwent liver biopsy were analyzed and clinicopathologically assessed by hepatologists and one of two experienced liver pathologists. We evaluated 301 patients, with a median age of 34 (interquartile range 29-40) years. Women (n = 143) were younger than men (n = 158), with a median age of 33 (interquartile range 28-37) versus 35 (interquartile range 31-41) years, P = 0.001. The majority, 76.1%, were black African. Median CD4 at time of biopsy was 127 (52-260) cells/mm(3) . Drug-induced liver injury was the predominant finding (42.2%), followed by granulomatous inflammation (29%), steatosis/steatohepatitis (19.3%), hepatitis B (19%), and hepatitis C coinfection (3.3%), with more than one pathology in 16.2%. With granulomatous inflammation, 52% met the criteria for tuberculosis immune reconstitution syndrome. By univariate analysis, cotrimoxazole and antiretroviral therapy conferred risk for drug injury (odds ratio [OR] = 2.78 [1.72-4.48], P < 0.001; OR = 1.69 [1.06-2.68], P = 0.027). In multivariate analysis, cotrimoxazole was associated with a cholestatic or ductopenic injury (OR = 7.05 [2.50-19.89], P < 0.001; OR = 17.6 [3.26-95.3], P < 0.0001); efavirenz was associated with nonspecific hepatitis or submassive necrosis (OR = 4.3 [1.92-9.83], P < 0.001; OR = 10.46 [2.7-40.5], P < 0.001). Cholestatic injury was associated with female gender and a CD4 of >200 cells/mm(3) , and submassive necrosis was associated with younger age. Hepatitis B demonstrated no association.

CONCLUSION

In a high HIV burden area, drug-induced liver injury due to antiretroviral therapy and cotrimoxazole was a frequent clinicopathological finding; Mycobacterium tuberculosis was the leading opportunistic infection, with more than half of patients fulfilling criteria for tuberculosis immune reconstitution syndrome; liver biopsy remains a useful diagnostic procedure in this setting.

Chronic liver disease in the human immunodeficiency virus patient

There are an estimated 40 million HIV infected individuals worldwide, with chronic liver disease being the 2nd leading cause of mortality in this population. Elevated liver functions are commonly noted in HIV patients and the etiologies are varied. Viral hepatitis B and C, fatty liver and drug induced liver injury are more common. Treatment options for viral hepatitis C are rapidly evolving and are promising, but treatments are limited for the other conditions and is primarily supportive. Opportunistic infections of the liver are now uncommon. Irrespective of etiology, management requires referral to specialized centers and with due diligence mortality can be reduced.

The spectrum of clinical and pathological manifestations of AIDS in a consecutive series of 236 autopsied cases in mumbai, India

The HIV epidemic in the Asian subcontinent has a significant impact on India. The AIDS associated pathology has not been well evaluated in a representative study hence very little is known about the spectrum of HIV/AIDS associated diseases in Indian subcontinent. To determine the important postmortem findings in HIV infected individuals in Mumbai, autopsy study was carried out. The patient population included patients with AIDS who died at the tertiary care hospital over a 20 year period from 1988 to 2007. A total of 236 (182; 77% males and 54; 23%) females) patients with AIDS were autopsied. The main risk factor for HIV transmission was heterosexual contact (226 patients; 96%) and 223/236 (94%) patients died of HIV-related diseases. Tuberculosis was the prime cause of death in 149 (63%) patients, followed by bacterial pneumonia 33 (14%), cryptococcosis 18 (8%), toxoplasmosis of brain 15 (6%), pneumocystis jiroveci (PCJ) 1 (0.5%) and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 7 (3%) cases. The major underlying pathologies are either preventable or treatable conditions. There is an urgent need for attention towards the diagnosis, issue of therapy, and care of HIV disease in developing countries. Reducing mortality in patients with AIDS from infections must be highest public health policy in India.

Evaluation of the histopathological hepatic lesions and opportunistic agents in Brazilian HIV patients

INTRODUCTION

to evaluated the type histopathological hepatic lesions and opportunistic agents in Brazilian HIV-infected patients.

METHODS

we examined 52 percutaneous liver biopsies of 50 HIV-infected patients who had at least two of the following conditions: fever of unknown origin, unexplained severe emaciation, hepatomegaly or abnormal liver chemistry. The specimens were cultured for mycobacteria and fungi and stained by standard procedures.

RESULTS

reactive patterns, granulomatous hepatitis and chronic active hepatitis were verified in 28 (54%), 11 (21%) and 8 (15%) of the patients respectively. Opportunistic infections were diagnosed in 18 (36%) patients: mycobacteria in 12 (24%), Cryptococcus neoformans in 5 (10%) patients and mycobacteria and yeast was isolated from the same liver fragment in one patient.

CONCLUSIONS

mycobacteriosis was the most common opportunistic infection and liver tissue culture is an important method to detect opportunistic agents, even in the absence of histological lesions.

HIV-associated primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of ovary: A case report

BACKGROUND

Although there have been few case series of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of ovary, no patient with AIDS-related primary ovarian lymphoma has been described in the literature.

CASE

We report a case of human immunodeficiency virus infected female with primary ovarian NHL for which she could not receive standard NHL combination chemotherapy and standard HIV highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and succumbed to death within 7 months after diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary ovarian lymphoma is rare as compared with other ovarian tumors and has similar presentation to other common ovarian malignancies. The patients from developing countries cannot afford standard NHL combination chemotherapy and HAART as these drugs are expensive and are not provided freely to all patients, in state government run public hospitals.

Primary liver AIDS-related lympoma

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) are the second most frequent malignancies in AIDS patients. The majority of NHL associated with AIDS involves extranodal sites, especially the digestive tract and the central nervous system. Primary liver lymphoma (PLL) is an uncommon neoplasm among these patients. Ultrasonography and computed tomography scans may be helpful in the diagnosis of focal hepatic lymphoma. Image-guided fine-needle biopsy with histopathology of the liver lesions is the gold standard for the diagnosis of hepatic lymphoma. We report a case of PLL as the initial manifestation of AIDS in a patient without any previous infection by hepatitis C or B virus, presented as multiple and large hepatic masses.