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Visceral leishmaniasis in HIV-1 -infected individuals

1992; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 6; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/00002030-199212000-00013

1473-5571

Francisco J. Medrano, José Hernández‐Quero, Enrique Jiménez, Juan A. Pineda, Antonio Rivero, A Sánchez-Quijano, Iván Darío Vélez, Pompeyo Viciana, Rafael Castillo, M. José Reyes, Francisco de Jesús Valladares Carvajal, Manuel Leal, Eduardo Lissen,

Research on Leishmaniasis Studies

To investigate the epidemiological, clinical and biological features of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in patients with HIV-1 infection.Retrospective study.Three university hospitals in southern Spain.Forty-seven adult patients with VL and HIV-1 infection diagnosed between January 1986 and November 1991.Forty-five out of the 47 (96%) cases were diagnosed in the last 2 years. Fever (87%), hepatomegaly (74%), splenomegaly (72%) and pancytopenia (77%) were the most common presenting features. Most patients (79%) were strongly immunocompromised when VL was diagnosed, and were in stage IV of the Centers for Disease Control classification; 87% had a CD4 lymphocyte count < 200 x 10(6)/l. However, VL was the first severe infection diagnosed in 10 cases. Significant titres (> 1:40) of antileishmanial antibodies were detected by indirect immunofluorescence in five out of 16 (31%) cases only. Clinical response to the therapy was difficult to assess. Microbiological response was achieved in only 38% of the patients evaluated.Leishmaniasis is a relatively common infection in HIV-1-infected individuals in southern Spain. Its clinical picture is quite uniform and it can be the first opportunistic infection in individuals with HIV-1. In endemic areas, a high index of clinical suspicion should be maintained in order to avoid underdiagnosis of leishmaniasis.Physicians examined the records of 47 adults with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and HIV-1 infection who were patients at 3 urban teaching hospitals in the Andalucia region in southern Spain between January 1986 and November 1991. They wanted to identify the clinical, biological, and epidemiological features of VL in HIV-1 positive patients. 96% of the cases were diagnosed with both infections during the last 2 years of the study period and 79% between January and November 1991. All the patients had risk factors for HIV infection (65.9% IV drug use, 21.3% sexual contact, and 12.8% blood transfusion). 70% exhibited the classic symptoms of VL (fever, enlarged liver and spleen, and depressed counts of blood cells). Most patients were already very immunocompromised when VL was diagnosed. 87% had a total lymphocyte count of less than 1000 x 1 million/1 and a CD4 lymphocyte count of less than 200 x 1 million/1. In fact, 66% had full blown AIDS prior to diagnosis of VL. VL was the first severe infection in 10 cases. 68% also suffered from opportunistic infections, especially candidiasis, extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Microscopic examination of Leishmania amastiogotes in tissue samples led to a diagnosis in 94% of cases, isolation of motile amastigotes in culture of bone marrow aspirate in 2%, and microscopic and culture in 4%. Just 46% completed a full course of treatment (pentavalent antimony, allopurinol, and/or pentamidine). Only 38% had a microbiological response. Immunofluorescence detected sizeable titers (1:40) of antileishmanial antibodies in just 31% of cases. 17% experienced clear clinical improvement. Physicians in endemic areas should consider VL in every HIV-1 infected patient with fever, hepatosplenomegaly, or hematological abnormalities to avoid underdiagnosis of leishmaniasis.