Relationship of polypharmacy to HIV RNA suppression in people aged ≥ 50 years living with HIV

OBJECTIVES

People living with HIV (PLWH) aged ≥ 50 years face unique challenges regarding their medication therapies, especially antiretroviral therapy (ART). Use of ARTs, along with medications for comorbidities, may lead to adverse events, drug-drug interactions (DDIs) and poor adherence. The objective of this study was to identify the number of medications above which PLWH aged ≥ 50 years are less likely to be virally suppressed and to describe other associated patient-specific risk factors.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study of PLWH aged ≥ 50 years, prescribed ART, and seen at least once in the Northwestern Infectious Disease Center between 1 June 2013 and 31 May 2015. Variables concerning medication use and comorbidities were collected. The primary outcome was the presence of an undetectable plasma HIV RNA level (viral load).

RESULTS

Among the 621 included patients, there was a higher percentage taking ≤ 15 medications with an undetectable plasma HIV RNA (n = 453; 80.6%) vs. patients taking > 15 medications (n = 40; 67.8%; P = 0.03). Taking > 15 medications [odds ratio (OR) 0.49; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.26-0.96], pulmonary disease (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.3-0.97) and CD4 T-lymphocyte count < 200 cells/μL (OR 0.39; 95% CI 0.22-0.68) decreased the odds of having an undetectable plasma HIV RNA.

CONCLUSIONS

PLWH taking > 15 medications were less likely to have an undetectable HIV RNA. Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of overall medication economic burden on clinical outcomes among PLWH ≥ 50 years of age.

Spontaneous colonic perforation: a rare complication of collagenous colitis

Collagenous colitis is a clinicopathologic syndrome characterized by chronic watery diarrhea and unique histopathologic features. Spontaneous colonic perforation in the setting of collagenous colitis is a highly unusual complication, with only three cases reported in the literature to date. We present a fourth case and propose a potential pathologic mechanism for acute colonic perforation in this patient population.

Ciliated Foregut Cyst of the Common Hepatic Duct: An Unusual Mimic of a Type II Choledochal Cyst

Ciliated foregut cysts typically arise in the liver and pancreas, with rare cases reported to arise in the gallbladder wall. Herein, we describe an unusual case of a patient with a ciliated foregut cyst arising from the wall of the common hepatic duct, which has not been reported previously. As a result of its unique anatomical location, the cyst was mistaken for a type II choledochal cyst on preoperative imaging. The cyst caused intermittent biliary obstruction that resolved following surgical resection.

Prevalence of oesophageal epidermoid metaplasia in 1048 consecutive patients and 58 patients with squamous neoplasms

AIMS

Oesophageal epidermoid metaplasia is defined by a dense granular layer with overlying hyperorthokeratosis, resembling the epidermis of skin. A possible association between epidermoid metaplasia, squamous dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma has been proposed. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of epidermoid metaplasia in patients with oesophageal squamous neoplasms with that in a control cohort.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Medical records and slides from 1048 consecutive oesophageal biopsies and resections for any indication and 58 patients with oesophageal squamous neoplasms were reviewed. Two cases (0.19%) of epidermoid metaplasia were identified in the 1048-patient control group. The prevalence of epidermoid metaplasia was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the 58 patients with oesophageal squamous neoplasms, two of whom (3.5%) had concurrent epidermoid metaplasia (odds ratio 18.1, 95% confidence interval 2.5-131). One case was associated with a verrucous carcinoma and the other with a well-differentiated, superficial (pT1), exophytic squamous cell carcinoma. No patients had epidermoid metaplasia in a biopsy prior to the diagnosis of squamous neoplasia.

CONCLUSIONS

The increased prevalence of epidermoid metaplasia observed in patients with squamous neoplasms provides some additional support for the proposed association. The hypothesis that epidermoid metaplasia is a precursor to squamous neoplasms remains unproven.

Crofelemer, a novel antisecretory agent approved for the treatment of HIV-associated diarrhea

Secretory diarrhea has a significant impact on morbidity and mortality worldwide and may be a predominant or minor component of pathogenesis in diarrhea of various etiologies. Crofelemer is a first-in-class antidiarrheal medication with unique inhibitory mechanisms at both the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator and the calcium-activated chloride channels which are responsible for chloride secretion and subsequent luminal hydration. The efficacy of crofelemer has been investigated in patients with HIV-associated diarrhea, diarrhea of various infectious etiologies, as well as diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Crofelemer was approved by the FDA in December 2012 to treat diarrhea in HIV/AIDS patients on antiretroviral therapy. Crofelemer is not absorbed in the body and well-tolerated in small trials performed to date although long-term safety data is lacking. Crofelemer may be an important addition to the currently available drugs for the management of secretory diarrhea.