Dynamics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-Specific and Nonspecific Immune Responses in Women with Tuberculosis Infection during Pregnancy

The immune control of tuberculosis (TB) infection could be influenced by pregnancy. To elucidate this, we longitudinally characterized Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-specific and nonspecific immune responses in women during pregnancy and postpartum. HIV-uninfected women without past or current active TB, and with blood samples available from the 1st/2nd trimester, 3rd trimester, and 9 months postpartum, were identified at Ethiopian antenatal care clinics. Twenty-two TB+ women and 10 TB- women, defined according to Mtb-stimulated interferon-γ levels (≥0.35 and <0.20 IU/mL, respectively, in the Quantiferon-TB Gold-Plus assay), were included in the study. Longitudinal dynamics of six cytokines (IL-1ra, IL-2, IP-10, MCP-2, MCP-3, and TGF-β1) were analyzed in supernatants from Mtb-stimulated and unstimulated whole blood. In TB+ women, Mtb-specific expression of IL-2 and IP-10 was higher at 3rd compared to 1st/2nd trimester (median 139 pg/mL versus 62 pg/mL, P = 0.006; 4,999 pg/mL versus 2,310 pg/mL, P = 0.031, respectively), whereas level of Mtb-triggered TGF-β1 was lower at 3rd compared to 1st/2nd trimester (-6.8 ng/mL versus 2.3 ng/mL, P = 0.020). Unstimulated IL-2, IP-10, and MCP-2 levels were increased postpartum, compared with those noted during pregnancy, in TB+ women. Additionally, postpartum levels of proinflammatory cytokines in unstimulated blood were higher in TB+ women, than in TB- women. None of the women developed active TB during follow-up. Taken together, dynamic changes of Mtb-specific cytokine expression revealed during the 3rd trimester in TB+ women indicate increased Mtb-antigen stimulation at later stages of pregnancy. This could reflect elevated bacterial activity, albeit without transition to active TB, during pregnancy. IMPORTANCE Tuberculosis (TB) is globally one of the most common causes of death, and a quarter of the world's population is estimated to have TB infection. The risk of active TB is increased in connection to pregnancy, a phenomenon that could be due to physiological immune changes. Here, we studied the effect of pregnancy on immune responses triggered in HIV-uninfected women with TB infection, by analyzing blood samples obtained longitudinally during pregnancy and after childbirth. We found that the dynamics of Mtb-specific and nonspecific immune responses changed during pregnancy, especially in later stages of pregnancy, although none of the women followed in this study developed active TB. This suggests that incipient TB, with elevated bacterial activity, occurs during pregnancy, but progression of infection appears to be counteracted by Mtb-specific immune responses. Thus, this study sheds light on immune control of TB during pregnancy, which could be of importance for future intervention strategies.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing for the early diagnosis of talaromycosis in HIV-uninfected patients: five cases report

Background

In recent years, talaromycosis is reportedly on the rise in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-uninfected patients. However, the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of talaromycosis is more likely in HIV-uninfected patients than in HIV-infected patients because talaromycosis can be easily mistaken for tuberculosis or any other opportunistic infection. Therefore, we used metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), a novel gene detection method, for the diagnosis of talaromycosis in HIV-uninfected patients.

Case presentation

We report five cases diagnosed as talaromycosis by mNGS in HIV-uninfected patients, which were further confirmed by tissue culture. There were 3 male and 2 female patients. Two patients had a history of rat contact. The misdiagnosis duration ranged from 88 to 245 days. While the results of tissue culture changed from repeated negative to positive, the mNGS result for Talaromyces marneffei was positive earlier in 4 patients. The reads of Talaromyces marneffei in mNGS ranged from 5 to 414. After antifungal therapy, one of the outcomes was death due to the longest duration of misdiagnosis, and the other outcomes were clinical improvement.

Conclusions

mNGS is perhaps a rapid and effective diagnosis approach for the early confirmation of talaromycosis. Antifungal therapy is recommended once Talaromyces marneffei was revealed by mNGS. mNGS might reduce misdiagnosis duration and improve prognosis. Through these findings, we hope to provide some reference for talaromycosis in HIV-uninfected patients diagnosed early with the help of mNGS.

Postinfectious inflammatory response syndrome in HIV-uninfected and nontransplant men after cryptococcal meningitis

Aim: The aim of our study was to describe the characteristics of postinfectious inflammatory response syndrome (PIIRS) in HIV-uninfected and nontransplant men after cryptococcal meningitis (CM). Patients & methods: A case-control study was designed to compare HIV-uninfected and nontransplant male CM patients with and without PIIRS. Results: CM-PIIRS patients had increased rates of hearing loss, V-P shunt placement, amphotericin B treatment, higher cerebrospinal fluid pressures and Cryptococcus counts in the first CM episode. CM-PIIRS episode was characterized by higher frequencies of headache and fever, higher C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell (WBC) counts and modified Rankin Score. Brain MRI scans revealed the high signal lesions on axial flair imaging. Receipt of corticosteroid therapy was associated with lower rates of fever and better modified Rankin Score scores at 1 month after treatment. Conclusion: CM-PIIRS episode differs to the initial presentation, may help to identify which patients are at risk to develop PIIRS. Steroids therapy could be beneficial.

Blood pressure trajectories and the mediated effects of body mass index and HIV-related inflammation in a mixed cohort of people with and without HIV in rural Uganda

We sought to describe changes in blood pressure and estimate the effect of HIV on blood pressure (BP) over 4 years of observation in a cohort of 155 HIV-infected adults (≥40 years) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 154 sex- and age-quartile-matched, population-based, HIV-uninfected controls for four years in rural Uganda, we compared changes in blood pressure (BP) by HIV serostatus and tested whether body mass index and inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) and immune activation (sCD14 and sCD163) mediated the effects of HIV on BP using hierarchical multivariate and two-stage parametric regression models. Overall HIV-uninfected participants had higher mean BP than HIV-infected counterparts (differences in trend P < 0.0001 for diastolic BP and P = 0.164 for systolic BP). After initial declines in BP in both groups between years 1 and 2, BP moderately increased in both groups through year 4, with greater change over time observed in the HIV-uninfected group. Body mass index mediated 72% (95%CI 57, 97) of the association between HIV and systolic BP. We found a minimal mediating effect of sCD14 on the relationship between HIV and SBP (9%, 95% CI 5%, 21%), but found no association between other HIV-related biomarkers. Over four years of observation, HIV-infected people in rural Uganda have lower BP than HIV-uninfected counterparts despite having higher levels of inflammation. BMI, rather than measures of HIV-associated inflammation, explained a majority of the difference in BP observed.

A comparative study of motor neuron disease in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients

BACKGROUND

This study is a descriptive review of the clinical and treatment outcome differences in HIV-infected patients with motor neuron syndrome (MNS) and HIV-uninfected patients with motor neuron disease (MND).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of patients with MND/S was performed at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IALCH), Durban, South Africa between 2003 and 2017.

RESULTS

One hundred and thirty six patients were included in the study, 101 (76%) were HIV-uninfected and 35 (26%) were HIV-infected. Ninety four percent of the HIV-infected cohort were <50 years, median 41, IQR (33-45), p < 0.001, had median ALS functional rating scale revised (ALSFRS-R) score of 28, IQR [24-30] and 40% of these patients on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) survived longer than 10 years. Ninety one percent of the HIV-uninfected cohort were >50 years, median 66, IQR(57-74), P < 0.001, had median ALSFRS-R score of 44 (IQR 42-45) and 93% died within 5 years of their illness.

CONCLUSION

HIV-infected MNS patients were younger, had more severe disease at presentation and survived longer if treated with ART with possible reversal of the disease process, compared to patients with MND.

High dose fluconazole in salvage therapy for HIV-uninfected cryptococcal meningitis

Background

The 2010 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines for management of cryptococcal diseases recommend high dose fluconazole (≥ 800 mg/day), either alone or with other antifungal drugs, as alternative anticryptococcal choices. But evidence for its use in the treatment of HIV-uninfected cryptococcal meningitis (CM) remains sparse.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of HIV-uninfected CM patients who received fluconazole 800 mg/day for salvage therapy from January 2011 to December 2016 at Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, China was performed. Efficacy and safety were assessed, and mortality and prognostic factors evaluated.

Results

A total of 44 patients were studied including 19 refractory to amphotericin B induction therapy, 8 refractory to fluconazole consolidation therapy (400 mg/d), and 17 intolerant of antifungal drugs. For salvage, 11 patients received triple therapy of high dose fluconazole, amphotericin B and flucytosine, 20 received dual therapy of high dose fluconazole and flucytosine, 13 received monotherapy of high dose fluconazole. Median duration of high dose fluconazole in salvage regimens was 136.5 days (range, 1–667 days). Clinical response rates were 72.1% (31/43) and 83.7% (36/43) when assessed at 2 weeks and the end of salvage therapy, respectively. Adverse events possibly related to high dose fluconazole occurred in 54.5% (24/44) of the patients, and all were mild or moderate. From the initiation of salvage therapy, 1-year all-cause mortality was 13.6% (6 of 44 patients) among the study population with no significant difference in refractory or intolerant patients.

Conclusions

Adherence to guideline recommendations of high dose fluconazole, alone or in combination with other antifungals, was safe and often effective for salvage therapy of HIV-uninfected CM patients.

Adjunctive dexamethasone for the treatment of HIV-uninfected adults with tuberculous meningitis stratified by Leukotriene A4 hydrolase genotype (LAST ACT): Study protocol for a randomised double blind placebo controlled non-inferiority trial

Background: Tuberculosis kills more people than any other bacterial infection worldwide. In tuberculous meningitis (TBM), a common functional promoter variant (C/T transition) in the gene encoding leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H), predicts pre-treatment inflammatory phenotype and response to dexamethasone in HIV-uninfected individuals. The primary aim of this study is to determine whether LTA4H genotype determines benefit or harm from adjunctive dexamethasone in HIV-uninfected Vietnamese adults with TBM. The secondary aim is to investigate alternative management strategies in individuals who develop drug induced liver injury (DILI) that will enable the safe continuation of rifampicin and isoniazid therapy.  Methods: We will perform a parallel group, randomised (1:1), double blind, placebo-controlled,  multi-centre Phase III non-inferiority trial, comparing dexamethasone versus placebo for 6-8 weeks in addition to standard anti-tuberculosis treatment in HIV-uninfected patients with TBM stratified by LTA4H genotype. The primary endpoint will be death or new neurological event. The trial will enrol approximately 720 HIV-uninfected adults with a clinical diagnosis of TBM, from two hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 640 participants with CC or CT- LTA4H genotype will be randomised to either dexamethasone or placebo, and the remaining TT- genotype participants will be treated with standard-of-care dexamethasone. We will also perform a randomised comparison of three management strategies for anti-tuberculosis DILI. An identical ancillary study will also be perfomed in the linked randomised controlled trial of dexamethasone in HIV-infected adults with TBM (ACT HIV).  Discussion: Previous data have shown that LTA4H genotype may be a critical determinant of inflammation and consequently of adjunctive anti-inflammatory treatment response in TBM. We will stratify dexamethasone therapy according to LTA4H genotype in HIV-uninfected adults, which may indicate a role for targeted anti-inflammatory therapy according to variation in LTA4H C/T transition. A comparison of DILI management strategies may allow the safe continuation of rifampicin and isoniazid.

Cryptococcosis in patients with hematological diseases: a 14-year retrospective clinical analysis in a Chinese tertiary hospital

Background

Cryptococcal infection has become a public health challenge globally. However, information about cryptococcal infection in patients with hematological diseases remains relatively rare.

Methods

HIV-uninfected cryptococcosis cases with hematological diseases admitted to Huashan Hospital from January 2001 to December 2014 were reviewed.

Results

In total, 33 cryptococcosis patients were enrolled, including 12 malignant and 21 non-malignant hematological cases. Twenty-six patients had central nervous system (CNS) involvement, which was observed more often in patients with non-malignancies than with malignancies (20/21 vs. 6/12, P = 0.001) Most patients (25/26) with CNS infection were confirmed by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture or smear, and 100% (20/20) of them tested positive for the CSF cryptococcal antigen test. Eighteen out of 26 cryptococcal meningitis patients were treated with amphotericin B (AmB)-based therapy, 16 of them with AmB deoxycholate (d-AmB) and 2 patients with liposomal AmB. The clinical success rate was 55.6%. D-AmB was well-tolerated at 0.35–0.59 mg/kg/d (median 0.43 mg/kg/d) and only 12 patients had mild adverse events.

Conclusions

CNS cryptococcal infection was more frequent in patients with hematological non-malignancies, and cryptococcal antigen test as well as the CSF fungal culture or smear are suggested for early diagnosis. D-AmB could be used as an alternative therapy for CNS-infected patients with hematological diseases.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-017-2561-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Metabolism in HIV-Infected and HIV-Uninfected Men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study

We evaluated associations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]2D) levels in a cohort of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected men at risk for infection in the United States. Stored samples collected between 1999 and 2008 were tested for vitamin D metabolites between 2014 and 2015. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a serum concentration of 25[OH]D <20 ng/ml. Multivariate models were used to assess associations of various demographic and clinical factors with vitamin D status. HIV-infected men on effective antiretroviral therapy (n = 640) and HIV-uninfected men (n = 99) had comparable levels of 25[OH]D and 1,25[OH]2D, and prevalences of vitamin D deficiency were 41% in HIV-infected and 44% in HIV-uninfected men, respectively. Self-reported black or other non-white race, obesity, and normal kidney function were significant predictors of vitamin D deficiency regardless of HIV serostatus. Lower CD4+ T cell count was associated with vitamin D deficiency in HIV-infected men, while current ritonavir use was protective. Self-reported black race was the only factor significantly associated with higher levels of 1,25[OH]2D (vs. whites; β = 4.85 pg/ml, p = .003). Levels of 1,25[OH]2D and 25[OH]D were positively correlated in HIV-infected men (β = 0.32 pg/ml, p < .001), but not in uninfected men (β = -0.09 pg/ml, p = .623; p < .05 for interaction). Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent regardless of HIV serostatus in this cohort, suggesting that HIV infection did not confer additional risk of deficiency in this cohort of well-treated HIV-infected men. However, HIV infection and race may have implications for vitamin D metabolism and 1,25[OH]2D levels.