Sebro Ayanna, Edwards Jonathan, Sued Omar, Lavia Leon-Omari, Elder Tricia, Edwards Robert Jeffrey, Akpaka Patrick Eberechi, Ram-Bhola Nadia, Morton-Williams Bynoe Roanna, Caro-Vega Yanink, John Isshad, Perez Freddy
National AIDS Coordinating Committee, Office of the Prime Minister, Port of Spain 190126, Trinidad and Tobago.
HIV/AIDS Coordinating Unit Ministry of Health, Port of Spain 101002, Trinidad and Tobago.
J Fungi (Basel). 2024 Oct 5;10(10):695. doi: 10.3390/jof10100695.
The Caribbean continues to have high HIV prevalence globally with concurrently high mortality rates due to opportunistic Infections. This study addresses the prevalence of histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis among patients living with advanced HIV disease (AHD) in Trinidad and Tobago, focusing on the implementation of antigen-based diagnostic assays. Conducted as a cross-sectional survey across five HIV treatment sites, 199 participants with advanced HIV disease were enrolled between July 2022 and September 2023. Diagnostic testing was performed using the Clarus Histoplasma Galactomannan Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA), and the Immy CrAg LFA Cryptococcal Antigen Lateral Flow Assay on urine and blood samples, respectively. Results revealed that 14.6% of participants were found to be co-infected with either histoplasmosis or cryptococcosis, with histoplasmosis being more prevalent (10.5%) than cryptococcosis (4.0%). The study found no significant demographic differences between newly diagnosed and previously diagnosed participants. However, a lower median CD4 count was associated with a higher risk of fungal opportunistic infections. The findings underscore the critical role of systematic use of fungal antigen-based diagnostic assays among patients with AHD to improve the timely diagnosis and treatment of fungal infections among people living with HIV in resource-limited settings and to improve patient outcomes and survival.
在全球范围内,加勒比地区的艾滋病毒感染率持续居高不下,同时因机会性感染导致的死亡率也很高。本研究探讨了特立尼达和多巴哥晚期艾滋病毒疾病(AHD)患者中组织胞浆菌病和隐球菌病的患病率,重点是基于抗原的诊断检测方法的应用。作为一项在五个艾滋病毒治疗点开展的横断面调查,在2022年7月至2023年9月期间招募了199名晚期艾滋病毒疾病患者。分别使用Clarus组织胞浆菌半乳甘露聚糖酶免疫测定法(EIA)以及Immy CrAg LFA隐球菌抗原侧向流动分析法对尿液和血液样本进行诊断检测。结果显示,14.6%的参与者被发现同时感染了组织胞浆菌病或隐球菌病,其中组织胞浆菌病(10.5%)比隐球菌病(4.0%)更为普遍。该研究发现,新诊断参与者和既往诊断参与者之间在人口统计学方面没有显著差异。然而,较低的CD4细胞计数中位数与真菌机会性感染的较高风险相关。这些发现强调了在晚期艾滋病毒疾病患者中系统使用基于真菌抗原的诊断检测方法对于改善资源有限环境下艾滋病毒感染者真菌感染的及时诊断和治疗、以及改善患者预后和生存的关键作用。