118 research outputs found
Tuberculose multirésistante. Epidemiologie, traitement, prévention et recherches diagnostiques
No full textObstruction to Treatments Meeting International Standards for Lyme and Relapsing Fever Borreliosis Patients
No full textWe reviewed how certain institutional policies and practices, as well as questionable research, are creating obstacles to care and informed consent for Lyme and relapsing fever Borreliosis patients. The interference is denying access to treatments that meet the internationally accepted standards as set by the Institute of Medicine. This obstruction to care contributes to significant human suffering, disability and negative economic effect across many nations and in many regions of the world. We note how evidence based medicine emphasizes the importance of clinical experience and patient-centered care and how these patients benefit significantly when their rights to choose among treatment options are upheld
Assessment of liver fibrosis and associated risk factors in HIV-infected individuals using transient elastography and serum biomarkers
No full textBackground: Liver fibrosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals is mostly attributable to co-infection with hepatitis B or C. The impact of other risk factors, including prolonged exposure to combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) is poorly understood. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of liver fibrosis and associated risk factors in HIV-infected individuals based on non-invasive fibrosis assessment using transient elastography (TE) and serum biomarkers (Fibrotest [FT]).
Methods: In 202 consecutive HIV-infected individuals (159 men; mean age 47 ± 9 years; 35 with hepatitis-C-virus [HCV] co-infection), TE and FT were performed. Repeat TE examinations were conducted 1 and 2 years after study inclusion.
Results: Significant liver fibrosis was present in 16% and 29% of patients, respectively, when assessed by TE (≥ 7.1 kPa) and FT (> 0.48). A combination of TE and FT predicted significant fibrosis in 8% of all patients (31% in HIV/HCV co-infected and 3% in HIV mono-infected individuals). Chronic ALT, AST and γ-GT elevation was present in 29%, 20% and 51% of all cART-exposed patients and in 19%, 8% and 45.5% of HIV mono-infected individuals. Overall, factors independently associated with significant fibrosis as assessed by TE (OR, 95% CI) were co-infection with HCV (7.29, 1.95-27.34), chronic AST (6.58, 1.30-33.25) and γ-GT (5.17, 1.56-17.08) elevation and time on dideoxynucleoside therapy (1.01, 1.00-1.02). In 68 HIV mono-infected individuals who had repeat TE examinations, TE values did not differ significantly during a median follow-up time of 24 months (median intra-patient changes at last TE examination relative to baseline: -0.2 kPa, p = 0.20).
Conclusions: Chronic elevation of liver enzymes was observed in up to 45.5% of HIV mono-infected patients on cART. However, only a small subset had significant fibrosis as predicted by TE and FT. There was no evidence for fibrosis progression during follow-up TE examinations
Um Olhar sobre a efetividade e custos do tratamento da hepatite C sob a perspectiva do Sistema Único de Saúde
Get PDFTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmácia, Florianópolis, 2011Introdução: A prevalência da hepatite C no Brasil é estimada em torno de 1%. Para o tratamento são fornecidos pelo sistema público de saúde os medicamentos peguinterferon alfa (PEG), interferon alfa (IFN) e ribavirina (RBV), de acordo com um protocolo específico. Objetivo: Identificar as taxas de cura do tratamento da hepatite C em Santa Catarina (SC) e no Brasil, investigar a associação entre as taxas de conclusão de tratamento e as taxas de cura, bem como quantificar os custos diretos do tratamento, de acordo com a perspectiva do SUS, e fazer uma comparação de custo-efetividade do tratamento da hepatite C para os pacientes portadores dos genótipos 2 e 3. Metodologia: As taxas de cura em SC foram verificadas por meio de uma série de casos de pacientes que realizaram o tratamento durante os anos de 2003 a 2007. Mediante revisão sistemática e meta-análise, verificou-se qual a taxa de cura nos estudos brasileiros publicados. De acordo com o protocolo nacional, os resultados foram divididos em cinco grupos: tratamento com PEG e RBV por 48 semanas: genótipo 1 (A), coinfecção com HIV (B), recidivante (C) e não respondedor (D); e tratamento com IFN e RBV por 24 semanas: genótipos 2 e 3 (E). A associação entre as taxas de término de tratamento e cura foi verificada por meio de uma análise de metarregressão. Os custos diretos do tratamento foram verificados mediante um micro-costing study. A análise de custo-efetividade do tratamento de pacientes portadores dos genótipos 2 ou 3 foi realizada comparando-se o uso de PEG+RBV (PEG-FIRST) por 24 semanas com IFN+RBV (PEG-SEC) por 24 semanas como primeira escolha. PEG+RBV (48 semanas) foi administrado para todos os pacientes recidivantes e não respondedores. Resultados: Em SC, analisaram-se 716 tratamentos, 472 (PEG) e 244 (IFN). As taxas de conclusão foram 69,1% (PEG) e 88,5% (IFN). Para 289 dos 542 tratamentos concluídos, os dados de resposta foram considerados ignorados. O número de tratamentos com resposta viral sustentada (RVS) foi 84 (45 com PEG e 39 com IFN). Na revisão sistemática, 20 estudos foram incluídos, e as taxas de RVS encontradas foram A (n=1.775; RVS= 40,2%, 95%IC 34,5-45,8); B (n=59, RVS= 23,7%); C, gen 1 (n=68; RVS=60,0%, 95%IC 44,0-75,9); C, gen 2 ou 3 (n=17; RVS 59,0%, 95%IC 32,9-85,1); D, gen 1 (n=230; RVS=18,3%, 95%IC 13,3-23,3); D, gen 2 ou 3 (n=79; RVS=50,2%, 95%IC 33,4-67,0); e E (n=486; RVS=54,3%, 95%IC 39,3-69,3). As taxas de não conclusão de tratamento variaram entre 4,5% e 44,4%. De acordo com a metarregressão, há correlação linear entre as taxas de não conclusão e RVS, e o aumento de 10% de descontinuidade implica uma redução de 4,1% de RVS. O custo total para o tratamento da hepatite C por paciente com IFN foi de US 10.658,08; e com PEG 2b 120 mcg, foi de US 5.852,99. O uso de PEG-FIRST resultou em uma RVS de 87,8% e custos de US$ 8.338,27. Conclusões: Os serviços que dispensam os medicamentos para o tratamento da hepatite C em SC não estão organizados para o registro de informações relativas ao acompanhamento do paciente e às taxas de cura. Alguns dados de efetividade dos estudos publicados no Brasil são inferiores aos ensaios clínicos. As baixas taxas de conclusão de tratamento explicam em parte esse achado. Para o tratamento com PEG, os custos com o acompanhamento dos pacientes, testes diagnósticos e consultas com profissionais representam apenas 12% dos custos totais, o que indica que melhor cuidado deve ser fornecido a esse grupo de pacientes para que se possa evitar desperdícios de recursos financeiros. No contexto brasileiro, PEG-FIRST é mais caro e mais efetivo que PEG-SEC
[Intolerance to and/or drug interactions of anti-HIV and anti-HVC therapy].
No full textTreating Hepatitis C among HIV patients under antiretroviral drug therapy requires a high degree of vigilance and continuous monitoring because of frequent problems with intolerance and/or drug interactions. Recent studies, including three therapeutic trials, on Ribavic, APRICOT, and ACTG A5671, have given some insights on following these patients up. The adverse effects are relatively similar in HCV-HIV-co-infected patients and patients infected by HCV only. Their frequency is, on the other hand, higher among HCV-HIV-Co-infected patients. The adverse-effects are consistent, in a non-exhaustive way, with pseudo influenza-like symptoms, fever, myalgia, cephalgia, with psychiatric disorders (irritability, depression, etc.); endocrine disorders (thyroid dysfunction, diabetes...); and with hematological anomalies especially anemia and leucopenia. But the percentage of lymphocyte T CD4 is not modified, therefore there is no risk of opportunistic infection. Pharmacokinetic interactions between antiretroviral drugs and treatment for HCV infection including ribavirin plus interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) or pegylated IFN are described. They are almost exclusively due to the combination of ribavirin and of nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors. One of the principal consequences is the emergence of mitochondrial toxicity defined by the occurrence of hyperlactatemia, or acute pancreatitis). Thus, some combinations should be avoided such as ddI+ribavirin and ddI+d4T+ribavirin. The d4T+ribavirin combination must also be used with caution
Treatment of hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus coinfection: from large trials to real life
No full textPrevalence and impact of GBV-C, SEN-V and HBV occult infections in HIV–HCV co-infected patients on HCV therapy
Get PDFBackground/AimsIt has been suggested that, in HIV–HCV co-infected patients, co-infections with other viruses may affect the response to HCV therapy. We aimed to assess the prevalence of GBV-C, SEN-V and occult HBV infections, their impact on HCV and HIV infections and on the response to HCV therapy in HIV–HCV co-infected patients. Methods Three-hundred and sixty eight patients were tested before starting interferon–ribavirin for the presence of occult hepatitis B DNA, GBV-C RNA and SEN-V DNA by using real time PCR. Clinical, immunological, virological, histological characteristics and response to HCV therapy were compared according to the presence or not of each viral co-infection. Results HBV DNA, GBV-C RNA and SEN-V DNA were found in 5 (1.4%, CI95%: 0.2–2.4%), 104 (29.9%, CI95%: 25.1–34.7%) and 209 patients (57.9%, CI95%: 52.8–63.0%), respectively. GBV-C positive patients had significantly higher CD4 count at baseline, during and after HCV therapy, even after stratification on antiretroviral treatment. No other significant difference was observed according to the presence or not of GBV-C or SEN-V co-infection, in particular regarding virological responses to HCV combination therapy. Conclusions There is no reason to withhold HCV therapy in HIV infected patients who have access to HAART, because of occult HBV, GBV-C or SEN-V co-infections
Serum alpha-fetoprotein predicts virologic response to Hepatitis C treatment in HIV coinfected patients:
Get PDFWe explored the link between serum alpha-fetoprotein levels and virologic response in 383 HIV-hepatitis C virus coinfected patients. A low alpha-fetoprotein level (<5.0 ng/ml) was an independent predictor of sustained virologic response (odds ratio = 1.83; 95% confidence interval 1.05–3.20). Serum alpha-fetoprotein measurement should be integrated in the pretreatment assessment of prognostic factors of a virologic response
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