Pulmonary Function by Spirometry in Children with Perinatal HIV Infection

Background: In an age of antiretroviral therapy, the life expectancy of children perinatally infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has significantly increased. At the same time, however, pulmonary pathologies secondary to opportunistic infections have decreased thanks to increased diagnostics and access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Despite this, in these children an immune dysregulation is maintained due to chronic infection. There is evidence that these patients have increased probability of presenting with abnormalities in pulmonary function, mainly with chronic obstructive clinical pictures (25% - 40% of perinatally infected adolescents display some anomaly in the spirometry), which predisposes them to increased risk of chronic pulmonary disease. Since lung development occurs mainly during infancy, patients perinatally infected with HIV may suffer consequences. This can be secondary to opportunistic infections, chronic inflammation due to the virus, and immunologic effects of ART, mainly in non-industrialized countries, where late diagnosis is frequent. Methodology: An analytical, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at Roosevelt Hospital Pediatric infectious disease clinic, from January to December 2019. A sample of 76 patients was obtained, out of a population of 362 patients. A total of 62 subjects, who met the criterion of reproducibility in the spirometry, were analyzed. Results were analyzed with percentages and the association of variables using the chi-squared test (χ2). Results: A decrease in pulmonary function was found in 34% of patients, mild obstructive pattern (16%) predominating. Significant association between basal viral load greater than 100,000 cp/ml and a decrease in Forced expiratory flow 25 - 75 (FEF 25-75) (p 0.046) and in relationship between forced expiratory volume and forced vital capacity (FEV1/ FVC p = 0.024) was observed, as well as a non-statistically significant relationship between advanced clinical stage at diagnosis and decreased pulmonary function. Conclusions: The prevalence of decreased pulmonary function related to advanced clinical stage and elevated basal viral load (>100,000 cps/ml) is higher than that reported in other studies (25%) and has an influence in the long-term decrease in pulmonary function.

Is Induction of Labor with Early Rupture of Membranes Associated with an Increased Rate of Clinical Chorioamnionitis?

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if early rupture of membranes (ROM) in women undergoing induction of labor (IOL) at term is associated with an increased rate of clinical chorioamnionitis. Study Design: A retrospective cohort study was performed on women undergoing IOL. Early ROM was defined as ROM at a modified Bishop score less than 5, cervical dilation less than 4 cm, or cervical effacement less than 80%. The rate of clinical chorioamnionitis was compared between women with early and late ROM. Results: The rate of clinical chorioamnionitis was 8.6% (24/279). ROM at an effacement of less than 80% was associated with a rate of clinical chorioamnionitis of 15.4% (12/78) compared to 6.0% (12/201) at an effacement of equal to or greater than 80%, p = 0.017. The rate of cesarean delivery was higher for patients with early ROM by any definition: 32% compared to 17.5% by modified Bishop score (p = 0.031), 32.4% versus 18.2% by cervical dilation (p = 0.049), and 33.3% versus 14.9% by cervical effacement (p = 0.001). Conclusions: In patients undergoing IOL, early ROM may be associated with an increased rate of clinical chorioamnionitis when performed at a cervical effacement of less than 80% and an increased rate of cesarean delivery.

Effects of sex and generation on hepatitis B viral load in families with hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM To explore factors associated with persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in a cohort of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-affected families and then investigate factors that correlate with individual viral load among hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive relatives. METHODS questionnaire. Demographics, relationship to index case, HBsAg status of mothers and index cases were evaluated for association with the HBV persistent infection or viral load by generalized estimating equation analysis. RESULTS Among 729 relatives enrolled, parent generation (P = 0.0076), index generation (P = 0.0044), mothers positive for HBsAg (P = 0.0007), and HBsAg-positive index cases (P = 5.98 x 10(-8)) were associated with persistent HBV infection. Factors associated with HBV viral load were evaluated among 303 HBsAg-positive relatives. Parent generation (P = 0.0359) and sex (P = 0.0007) were independent factors associated with HBV viral load. The intra-family HBV viral load was evaluated in families clustered with HBsAg-positive siblings. An intra-family trend of similar HBV viral load was found for 27 of 46 (58.7%) families. Male offspring of HBsAg-positive mothers (P = 0.024) and older siblings were associated with high viral load. CONCLUSION Sex and generation play important roles on HBV viral load. Maternal birth age and nutritional changes could be the reasons of viral load difference between generations.

Perinatal Listeria monocytogenes susceptibility despite preconceptual priming and maintenance of pathogen-specific CD8^＋ T cells during pregnancy

Listeria monocytogenes （Lm） is an intracellular bacterium with unique predisposition for systemic maternal infection during pregnancy and morbid consequences for the developing fetus. Given the high mortality associated with prenatal Lm infection, strategies for augmenting protective immunity during the exceedingly vulnerable period of pregnancy are urgently needed. Herein, protection conferred by attenuated Lm administered before pregnancy against subsequent virulent Lm prenatal infection was evaluated. We show that protection against secondary Lm infection in non-pregnant mice is sharply moderated during allogeneic pregnancy because significantly more bacteria are recovered from maternal tissues, despite the numerical and functional preservation of pathogen-specific CD8^＋ T cells. More importantly, preconceptual priming does not protect against in utero invasion or fetal wastage because mice inoculated with attenuated Lm prior to pregnancy and naive pregnant controls each showed near complete fetal resorption and pathogen recovery from individual concepti after Lm infection during pregnancy. Remarkably, the lack of protection against prenatal Lm infection with preconceptual priming in allogeneic pregnancy is restored during syngeneic pregnancy. Thus, maternal-fetal antigen discordance dictates the ineffectiveness of preconceptual vaccination against fetal complications after prenatal Lm infection, despite the numerical and functional preservation of pathogen-snecific CD8^＋ T cells.

The burden of disease on HIV-infected orphaned and non-orphaned children accessing primary health facilities in a rural district with poor resources in South Africa: a cross-sectional survey of primary caregivers of HIV-infected children aged 5–18 years

Background:Provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling(PITC)is offered as part of the normal standard of care to increase access to treatment for HIV-infected children.In practice,HIV diagnosis occurs in late childhood following recurrent and chronic infections.We investigated primary caregivers’reported reasons for seeking HIV testing for children aged 5–18 years,determined the orphan status of the children,and compared the clinical profile and disease burden of orphans and non-orphans.Methods:This was a cross-sectional survey of primary caregivers of HIV-infected children accessing antiretroviral treatment(ART)from two community hospitals and 34 primary healthcare facilities in a rural district in Mpumalanga province,South Africa.Results:The sample consisted of 406 primary caregivers:319(78.6%)brought the child to the health facility for HIV testing because of chronic and recurrent infections.Almost half(n=183,45.1%)of the children were maternal orphans,128(31.5%)were paternal orphans,and 73(39.9%)were double orphans.A univariate analysis showed that maternal orphans were significantly more likely to be older(OR=2.57,p=0.000,CI:1.71–3.84),diagnosed late(OR=2.48,p=0.009,CI:1.26–4.88),and to start ART later(OR=2.5,p=0.007,CI:1.28–4.89)than non-orphans.There was a high burden of infection among the children prior to HIV diagnosis;274(69.4%)presented with multiple infections.Multiple logistic regression showed that ART start age(aOR=1.19,p=0.000,CI:1.10–1.29)and time on ART(aOR=2.30,p=0.000,CI:1.45–3.64)were significantly associated with orphanhood status.Half(n=203,(50.2%)of the children were admitted to hospital prior to start of ART,and hospitalization was associated with multiple infections(OR=1.27,p=0.004,CI:1.07–1.51).Conclusions:The study found late presentation with undiagnosed perinatal HIV infection and high prevalence of orphanhood among the children.The health of maternal orphans was more compromised than non-orphans.Routine PICT should be strengthened to increase community awareness about undiagnosed HIV among older children and to encourage primary caregivers to accept HIV testing for children.